The organization disclosed this in its new Global Status Report on Neurology, noting that common conditions include stroke, migraine, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, and epilepsy.

WHO Assistant Director-General for Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Control, Dr Jeremy Farrar, said, “With more than one in three people in the world living with conditions affecting their brain, we must do all we can to improve the health care they need.”

WHO urged urgent, coordinated action, highlighting that most cases are either preventable or treatable, yet access to care remains limited, especially in low-income and rural areas.

According to reports, only one in three countries has national strategies for neurological care, and just 18% of WHO Member States allocate dedicated funding. Low-income nations face a severe shortage of neurologists, over 80 times fewer than high-income countries, despite bearing a heavier disease burden.

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WHO warned that without immediate investment, awareness, and universal health coverage, the burden will keep rising, deepening global health inequalities.

In Nigeria, a leading neurologist warned that brain disorders are set to triple by 2030, largely driven by rising cases of hypertension and diabetes. Currently, one in four Nigerians has hypertension, while one in six has diabetes, both major risk factors for neurological conditions such as stroke, epilepsy, insomnia, and depression.

Source: Punch