A study released by The Lancet Neurology, a peer-reviewed scientific journal, shows that in 2021, more than three billion people worldwide were living with a neurological condition.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) contributed to the analysis of the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries and Risk Factor Study 2021 data.
According to WHO, neurological conditions are now the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide.
The United Nations (UN) health agency says the overall amount of disability, illness and premature death, known as disability-adjusted life years, caused by neurological conditions has increased by 18 percent since 1990.
It adds that over 80 percent of neurological deaths and health loss occur in low- and middle-income countries.
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“Neurological conditions cause great suffering to the individuals and families they affect, and rob communities and economies of human capital,” WHO Director- General Tedros Ghebreyesus said.
He added that the study should serve as an urgent call to action to scale up targeted interventions to allow the growing number of people living with neurological conditions to access the quality care, treatment and rehabilitation they need.
Ghebreyesus added that it is more important than ever to ensure brain health is better understood, valued and protected, from early childhood to later life.
The top ten neurological conditions contributing loss of health in 2021 were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy (brain injury), migraine, dementia, diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage), meningitis, epilepsy, neurological complications from preterm birth, autism spectrum disorder, and nervous system cancers.
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WHO says overall, neurological conditions cause more disability and health loss in men compared to women.
The UN agency further indicates that the number of people with diabetic neuropathy has more than tripled globally since 1990, rising to 206 million cases in 2021.
“This increase is in line with the worldwide increase in diabetes. Other conditions such as neurological complications from Covid-19… did previously not exist and now account for over 23 million cases,” it says.
The neurological conditions captured in the study are said to be prevalent in Malawi.
Researchers once found the spectrum of neurological illnesses in the country is varied and primarily related to HIV and neuro-infections.
Recent observations by experts also found that while most patients with Covid had cough and breathing problems, others were recording neurological diseases too.
