The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a report highlighting the alarming fact that nearly half of the global population suffers from neurological conditions, yet a staggering 75% of them lack access to necessary care and treatment.
The report, “Improving access to medicines for neurological disorders,” coincides with World Brain Day on July 22, which raises awareness about neurological disorders affecting people worldwide.
According to the World Federation of Neurology, conditions like stroke, migraine, Alzheimer’s, meningitis, and epilepsy significantly impact global health, with many cases being preventable through effective measures.
The WHO notes that neurological disorders are the leading cause of global disability, and access to essential medicines remains a critical challenge, particularly in low- and middle-income countries with limited resources and underdeveloped healthcare systems.
The report reveals stark disparities in treatment access, with 75% of people in low-income countries and 50% in middle-income countries unable to access neurological care.
Dévora Kestel, WHO’s Director for the Department of Mental Health, Brain Health and Substance Use, attributes this struggle to limited access and high costs of medicines.
She said, “The impact of neurological disorders can be significantly decreased and quality of life improved if people living with these disorders are provided access to the essential medicines they need.
“However, most people with neurological disorders struggle to access the treatment they need for their conditions because these medicines do not reach them or are too expensive.”
The newly released report utilized epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease as examples to identify obstacles in accessing existing treatments, particularly in remote and rural areas.
It highlighted several challenges, including the high cost of pharmaceuticals, lack of awareness, inadequate healthcare infrastructure, and insufficient specialized training for healthcare providers, which hinder the delivery of timely and effective care.
The report emphasized the need for increased efforts to address these barriers.
The WHO recommended several measures, including education to reduce stigma around neurological disorders, integration of neurological treatments into national essential medicines lists, and budget allocation by local healthcare systems for medication procurement.
Additionally, the WHO called on international donors and agencies to explore funding options to make treatments more affordable.
Christophe Rerat, a senior technical officer at the WHO, noted that the report’s proposed actions align with the WHO’s roadmap, providing a clear path forward to improve access to neurological medicines.
“Actions proposed in this report have clear synergies with the WHO roadmap for access to medicines, vaccines, and other health products. With the proposed approach for neurological medicines, we have a robust set of actions and a clear way forward to improve access to these essential medicines,” he said.
Further commenting on the report, the Assistant Director-General, Communicable and Non-communicable Diseases at WHO, Dr Jérôme Salomon, mentioned,
“Concerted effort is needed by all stakeholders to achieve the global targets of the Intersectoral global action plan on epilepsy and other neurological disorders 2022-2031, including having 80 per cent of countries providing the essential medicines and basic technologies required to manage neurological disorders in primary care by 2031.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) urged collective action among governments, pharmaceutical companies, healthcare providers, and non-governmental organizations to enhance access to essential medicines.
To address the treatment gap, the WHO recommended exploring innovative strategies, including differential pricing, generic drug production, and telemedicine, to connect patients with the necessary care and treatment.
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