78 organisations call for urgent investment into neurological research
This Brain Awareness Week (10-16th March) the four national Neurological Alliances are working together to raise awareness of the critical need for more research on neurological conditions and calling on the UK Government to #InvestInNeuroResearch.
Facts and figures
A shocking new study shows that neurological conditions are now the leading cause of ill health worldwide1. Conditions such as epilepsy, dementia, Parkinson’s, and Motor Neurone Disease are just some of the 600+ neurological conditions that impact millions of people across the UK. Despite at least 1 in 6 people living with a neurological condition, there is severely limited research on these life altering conditions. The latest figures show that neurological research received just 8.9% of the UK’s total health research expenditure (2022)2. Researchers working on transformative projects face losing their jobs due to insecure funding, clinical trials are limited in their number, and short funding cycles make sustained research challenging. This leaves countless people feeling lost, with little known about what causes their condition or what possible treatments, interventions or methods for managing their condition might be available.
This has to change.
Throughout Brain Awareness Week, the Neurological Alliances and their charity members will be showcasing the different voices, lives and work impacted by research. Hearing from people living with neurological conditions and researchers working to understand these conditions, a powerful series of videos will be released illustrating the importance of prioritising research into these complex and life altering conditions.
Speaking on behalf of the UK Alliances, Hester Lee, Programme Co-ordinator of the Neurological Alliance of Scotland says “Neurological conditions can affect anyone, at any age, and at any time, yet there is still such a limited understanding of how these conditions impact people. This directly affects the availability and quality of treatment, care and support people with neurological conditions receive.
