A new report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed that despite significant progress in developing effective treatments for neurological disorders, there are treatment gaps. WHO made this known in a statement on Monday, noting that over 75 per cent of people in low-income countries and 50 per cent in middle-income countries cannot access these life-changing medicines. WHO’s Director for the Department of Mental Health, Brain Health and Substance Use, Dévora Kestel, said accessing essential medicines can greatly improve the lives of people with neurological disorders, but many struggle due to unavailability or high costs.
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.” WHO said neurological disorders are the primary cause of disability, and more than 80 per cent of deaths and health loss due to neurological conditions occur in low- and middle-income countries, adding that the treatment gap between the number of individuals with a condition and those receiving suitable treatment- for neurological disorders, is alarmingly high.
WHO utilised epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease as exemplar conditions to highlight the intricate an.