According with most recent study published by the World Health Organization (WHO) one billion people are affected worldwide by neurological disorders. Neurological disorders affect people in all countries, irrespective of age, sex, education or income and its economic impact is huge. According to a study recently published by the American Neurological Association (ANA) the burden of neurological disorders in USA is estimated nearly of $800 billion year while in Europe the economic cost reach €798 billion, of which direct health care cost 37%, direct non-medical cost 23%, and indirect cost 40%. Average cost per inhabitant was €5.550. The European average cost per person with a disorder of the brain ranged between €285 for headache and €30 000 for neuromuscular disorders .
According with the data from the European Brain Council a total of 220.7 million people in Europe suffer from at least one neurological disease – that is more than the populations of Germany, France and Great Britain combined. Headaches (152.8 million affected) top the list of the most common neurological disorders, followed by sleep disorders (44.9 million), strokes (8.2 million) and dementia (6.3 million).Despite the effort put by governments and scientific institutions in facing the global challenge of neurological disorders the results obtained are still unsatisfactory. The UN General Assembly report of December, 2017, underscored that progress in reducing the burden of non-communicable diseases, including neurological disorders, has been insufficient to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goal targets by 2030. Neurological disorders are the leading cause of disability and the second leading cause of death worldwide. Thus, strategies and programmes that reduce the burden from neurological disorders would potentially help to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goal targets.
