World Brain Day 2026: Media Toolkit

Poster 1

3.4 billion people affected:
Over 42% of the global population now lives with a neurological condition, making brain disorders the leading cause of disability and ill health worldwide. 

Poster 2

The 11 million mortality gap:
Neurological disorders claim 11 million lives annually. Crucially, 81% of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries where access to care is most limited.

Poster 3

The 227-fold workforce inequity:
High-income countries have 227 times more neurologists per capita than low-income countries. In parts of Africa and Asia, there is often fewer than one neurologist for every 1 million people.

Poster 4

80% epilepsy treatment gap:
In many regions, 4 out of 5 people with epilepsy recieve no treatment at all, despite the existence of essential medicines costing less than $5 USD per year.

Poster 5

$5 trillion economic burden:
The global cost of neurological conditions is now estimated at $5 trillion USD annually, a figure that threatens to destabilize national health systems if access to prevention is not scaled.

Poster 6

90% stroke prevention potential:
Up to 90% of strokes are linked to modifiable risk factors like hypertension. Access to simple blood pressure monitoring could prevent millions of cases of permanent disability.

Poster 7

45% dementia delay:
Addressing 14 modifiable risk factors across the lifespan can prevent or delay nearly half of all dementia cases.

Poster 8

The diagnostic desert:
In rural low- and middle-income countries, the average distance to the nearest neuro-diagnostic tool (CT/MRI) is over 200 kilometres, turning treatable conditions into life-long disabilities.

Poster 9

5-Year delay to diagnosis:
On average, patients in under-resourced areas face a 5.4-year delay between their first symptom and a specialist diagnosis, leading to irreversible neurological impairment.

Poster 10

The digital bridge:
While only 3% of the global population has direct access to a neurologist, 72% have access to a mobile network, creating an immediate pathway for tele-neurology.

Poster 11

Environmental neurology risk:
28% of the global stroke burden is now attributed to air pollution, making Access for All a matter of environmental justice as much as medical care.

Poster 12

The IGAP* Policy Gap:
Only 32% of countries currently have a standalone national policy for brain health. Advocacy for Access for All is the only way to reach the WHO 2031 targets. 

*WHO Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and other Neurological Disorders