WHO: 11 Million Lives Lost Annually; Urgent Action Needed on Neurological Care
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
Institutions: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare | NITI Aayog
The newly released WHO Report on Neurological Care and the Global Burden, has found that global neurological conditions, including stroke, dementia, and headache, are responsible for an estimated 11 million deaths and affect more than 3 billion people annually. The report highlights that neurological care and support are severely lacking, inequitable, and often neglected globally, leading to preventable mortality and disability. The burden is disproportionately high in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), driven by insufficient resources, a severe lack of specialized staff, and high treatment costs. The WHO calls for the immediate and urgent implementation of the Intersectoral Global Action Plan (IGAP) on epilepsy and other neurological disorders (2022β2031) to close these critical treatment and resource gaps.
This WHO report is crucial for the National Health Policy as it necessitates a strategic shift towards integrating basic neurological screening and care into existing primary and secondary healthcare systems, emphasizing task-shifting and dedicated infrastructure investment to address Indiaβs severe shortage of specialized medical personnel.
What is the Intersectoral Global Action Plan (IGAP) on neurological disorders? β The Intersectoral Global Action Plan (IGAP) is a 10-year strategy (2022β2031) adopted by the World Health Assembly to improve access to care and treatment for people with epilepsy and other neurological disorders. It provides a comprehensive framework for governments to strengthen services, reduce the widespread social stigma associated with these conditions, promote crucial research and surveillance, and ensure a unified public health approach is taken to manage the immense global burden of neurological disease. Its full, comprehensive implementation has been slow and challenging across most Member States due to systemic issues.
Follow the full report here: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240116139
WHO: 11 million lives lost each year, urgent action needed on neurological care