Neurological disorders WorldWide / Facts & Figures

Up to 1 billion people, nearly one in six of the world’s population, suffer from neurological disorders, from Alzheimer and Parkinson disease, strokes, multiple sclerosis and epilepsy to migraine, brain injuries and neuroinfections, according to a new United Nations report. Reference: World Health Organization, www.who.int
50 million people suffer from epilepsy and 24 million from Alzheimer and other dementias. Reference: World Health Organization, www.who.int
US National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) estimates that about 1 in 4 American adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in any given year, with nearly 6% suffering serious disabilities as a result. Reference; McGovern Institute, mcgovern.mit.edu
6.8 million people die every year as a result of neurological disorders. Reference: World Health Organization, www.who.int
Europe, the economic cost of neurological diseases was estimated at about 139 billion euros in 2004. Reference: World Health Organization, www.who.int
Professor Johan Aarli, President of the World Federation of Neurology said “In order to reduce the impact of neurological disorders, innovative approaches involving strong partnerships must be put in place,”. Reference: World Health Organization, www.who.int
Nearly 40 percent of Europeans suffer mental illness; Reference: European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, www.encp.eu

Neurological disorders affect people in all countries, irrespective of age, sex, education or income.

Stroke kills more than 130,000 Americans each year—that’s 1 out of every 20 deaths. Reference: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov
Someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds. Every 4 minutes, someone dies of stroke. Reference: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov
Every year, more than 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke. About 610,000 of these are first or new strokes. Reference: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov
About 185,00 strokes—nearly 1 of 4—are in people who have had a previous stroke. Reference: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov
Stroke costs the United States an estimated $33 billion each year. This total includes the cost of health care services, medicines to treat stroke, and missed days of work. Reference: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov
Stroke is a leading cause of serious long-term disability. Stroke reduces mobility in more than half of stroke survivors age 65 and over. Reference: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov

Constantin Costescu, May 15, 2017