WHO neurological disorders report 2025
- Neurological diseases and deaths worldwide
- Neurological healthcare investment WHO
- Developing countries' neurological policy gap
- Brain health awareness WHO report 2025
Neurological disorders causes and prevention
The latest report from the World Health Organization (WHO) has shocked the world. According to the report, 11 million people die each year from neurological disorders.
Yet, only 63 countries have national policies in place to address this crisis.
The WHO warns that more than three billion people suffer from some form of brain or neurological disorder—including stroke, migraine, Alzheimer's, dementia, and meningitis.
The report states that poor countries face a severe shortage of health investment and specialists. The WHO has appealed to all governments to prioritize brain health, strengthen policies, and increase long-term investments....
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| 11 million lives lost each year: urgent action needed on neurological care |
New Delhi, 15th October 2025. The World Health Organisation (WHO) warns that less than one in three countries around the world has a national policy to address the growing burden of neurological disorders, responsible for over 11 million deaths globally each year. The WHO’s new Global status report on neurology, released, shows that neurological conditions now affect more than 40% of the global population – over 3 billion people.
The top 10 neurological conditions contributing to death and disability as of 2021 were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, idiopathic epilepsy, neurological complications linked to preterm birth, autism spectrum disorders, and cancers of the nervous system.
Low-income countries have more than 80 times fewer neurologists compared to high-income nations despite the high burden of these diseases. Many low- and middle-income countries lack national plans, budgets and workforce. WHO is calling for urgent, evidence-based and coordinated global action to prioritise brain health and expand neurological care.
“With more than 1 in 3 people in the world living with conditions affecting their brain, we must do all we can to improve the health care they need,” said Dr Jeremy Farrar, WHO Assistant Director-General, Division of Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Control. “Many of these neurological conditions can be prevented or effectively treated, yet services remain out of reach for most – especially in rural and underserved areas – where people too often face stigma, social exclusion and financial hardship. We must work together to ensure we put patients and their families first and that brain health is prioritised and properly invested in.”
Key findings from the report
The first-of-its-kind report highlights that only 53% of WHO Member States (102 countries out of 194) contributed to this report – an indicator of the limited attention given to neurology. Just 32% of Member States (63 countries) have a national policy addressing neurological disorders, and only 18% (34 countries) report having dedicated funding to address them.
Without strong policy frameworks, health systems remain fragmented, under-resourced and ill-equipped to meet the needs of patients and families. While public awareness-raising campaigns and advocacy efforts are making progress, there is still significant room to strengthen them – reducing stigma, accelerating reform, and ensuring millions receive the care and recognition they deserve.
Essential services are out of reach for most people. Only 25% of Member States (49 countries) include neurological disorders in their universal health coverage benefit packages. Critical services such as stroke units, pediatric neurology, rehabilitation, and palliative care are frequently lacking or concentrated in urban areas, leaving rural and underserved populations without access to lifesaving and life-sustaining care.
The report reveals a severe lack of qualified health professionals, with low-income countries facing up to 82 times fewer neurologists per 100,000 people compared to high-income nations. This shortage means that for many patients, timely diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care are simply out of reach.
Neurological conditions often require lifelong care. Yet only 46 Member States offer carer services and just 44 Member States have legal protections in place for carers. As a result, informal carers – most often women – are left without recognition or support, reinforcing social inequities and placing a significant financial strain on families.
Weak health information systems and chronic underfunding of research – particularly in low- and middle-income countries – limit evidence-based decision-making and prevent the design of effective policies on neurological disorders.
Roadmap for action
In response to these growing public health challenges, Member States adopted the Intersectoral global action plan on epilepsy and other neurological disorders in 2022 to reduce the burden and impact of neurological conditions.
The action plan provides countries with a roadmap to strengthen policy prioritisation, ensure timely and effective care, including health promotion and disease prevention, improve data systems, and engage people with lived experience in shaping more inclusive policies and services.
Without action, the burden of neurological disorders will continue to rise, deepening global health inequalities. WHO urges governments to:
make neurological disorders a policy priority through bold leadership and sustained investment;
- Expand access to neurological care through universal health coverage and health system strengthening.
- promote brain health across the life course with coordinated intersectoral action targeting key risk and protective factors; and
- strengthen data systems and monitoring for evidence-informed decision-making and accountability.
The Global status report on neurology provides a comprehensive assessment of countries’ responses to neurological conditions and sets a baseline for monitoring progress under the Intersectoral global action plan on epilepsy and other neurological to improve brain health and reduce inequalities.
WHO urges governments to:
✔️ Make brain health a policy priority
✔️ Expand access to care without financial hardship
✔️ Promote brain health across the life course
✔️ Strengthen data systems & monitoring
✔️ Involve people with lived experience
As the world progresses, the pressure on our brains is also increasing at the same pace.
This WHO report is not just a story of statistics, but a warning—that brain health can no longer be ignored.
Neurological disorders are no longer a problem of rich or poor countries; they have become a global emergency.
Governments need not just to announce policies but to implement them so that every person can get timely, accessible, and affordable neurological care.
Because the brain is the power that guides both humans and society.
And if it becomes unhealthy, the path to progress automatically comes to a halt.
