Neurological morbidity is the world's number 1 cause of morbidity and disability, with over 3 billion people with brain diseases * according to an article published this weekend in the Lancet. The scope of morbidity and disability has grown since 1990 by 18%
According to a study published on the weekend in the magazine The Lancet Neurology, more than 3 billion people in the world, which is more than one out of three people on the planet, live with neurological diseases, which have become the world's leading burden factor in morbidity and disability (overtaking cardiovascular diseases and cancer).
Following the publication, the World Health Organization (WHO) hastened to release a message to the global media, stating that the scope of morbidity and disabilities as a result of neurological conditions has grown since 1990 by 18%.
according to Director General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus): "Neurological diseases cause great suffering to patients and families and greatly harm the world's economies and human capital."
He urgently calls on the international community and world governments to expand neurology services, patient care and rehabilitation from early childhood to the end of life.
Despite the jump in morbidity, there is also a decrease in certain brain diseases in some countries thanks to preventive medicine, which includes vaccines, treatment and research.
Treatment of the risk factors reduces brain morbidity, but there is a lack of neurologists and beds in neurological departments
According to the World Health Organization, there are 20 risk factors, the elimination or reduction of which significantly reduces neurological morbidity, among others, the scope of stroke events, dementia, multiple sclerosis and other diseases.
Among these risk factors: smoking, high consumption of sugar, lack of physical activity, air pollution and more.
"The disease of the brain and nervous system encompasses hundreds of functional and mental disabilities, and is currently the leading cause of physical and cognitive disability in the world," says Prof. David Tana, chairman of the Israel Neurological Association.
The union examined the financial implications of brain disease, and found that the cost of 6 main types of disease (stroke, dementia, chronic migraines, Parkinson's, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis) amounts to an astronomical sum of approximately NIS 7 billion per year in Israel
"In recent years, we have struggled as a union to change the system's attitude towards neurology. The Ministry of Health's report examining the profession in Israel indicated a large gap between the human capital of the neurologists in the country, and the infrastructure and manpower that is missing in the hospitals and in the community," says Prof. Tana.
According to him: "The report illuminates a long list of systemic deficiencies and outlines a road map for change. Still, about half of those hospitalized with neurological disease in hospitals are in internal wards, not in neurology wards. Mental illness in Israel does not stop growing, but this is not fate. We have the knowledge and tools to prevent neurological morbidity and reduce disabilities. For example, about 80 percent of cerebrovascular accidents and about a third of dementia cases are preventable, and with appropriate preparation, it is possible to prevent relapse in those who have had a mild or transient cerebrovascular accident. At this time there is not enough infrastructure in Israel, there is a lack of neurological beds and beds in stroke units and above all there is a shortage of neurological doctors. About 300 experts are missing in Israel in the fields of neurology and the problem is aggravated because about a third of the neurology experts in Israel are approaching retirement age, or have even passed it."
The war exacerbates the extent of neurological morbidity
Prof. Tana adds: "During the war, there was another surge in the need for neurology services, and the difficulty of providing a reasonable response to the "routine" neurological morbidity of tens, if not hundreds of thousands of patients in Israel increased. Many chronic and common neurological diseases, such as: Parkinson's, migraine, multiple sclerosis and epilepsy are aggravated in stressful situations, with an emphasis on mental stress, which has been so common since October 7. At the same time, the outbreak of the war also affected her in the events of stroke and cerebral hemorrhage in particular. In view of the growing volumes of morbidity, the neurological needs will increase, and there is no doubt that in order to provide an adequate response, it is necessary to strengthen the profession of neurology."
Link to a message from the World Health Organization
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