SASPI Project Team (Including: UNSPECIFIED). (2004) Prevalence of stroke survivors in rural South Africa - Results from the Southern Africa Stroke Prevention Initiative (SASPI) - Agincourt field site. STROKE, 35 (3). pp. 627-632. ISSN 0039-2499

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Abstract

Background and Purpose - The importance of stroke in low-income regions such as sub-Saharan Africa has recently been emphasized. However, little is known about the burden of stroke in sub-Saharan Africa. We investigated the prevalence of stroke survivors in the Agincourt Health and Population Unit, a demographic surveillance site in the rural northeast of South Africa. Methods - Census workers asked household informants 2 screening questions for stroke during the annual census. If either question was answered positively, a clinician visited individuals aged greater than or equal to15 years to confirm the likely diagnosis of stroke. We performed a detailed assessment and defined stroke according to the World Health Organization criteria. Results - A total of 42 378 individuals were aged greater than or equal to15 years. There were 982 positive responses to the questionnaire, and we examined 724 individuals (74%). We identified 103 strokes ( crude prevalence, 243/100 000). After adjustment for those we did not examine, the prevalence was 300/100 000 (95% CI, 250 to 357). Sixty-six percent of stroke survivors needed help with at least 1 activity of daily living (Segi age-standardized prevalence, 200/100 000). Conclusions - Stroke prevalence in rural South Africa is higher than previously documented in Africa but lower than in high-income countries. However, the prevalence of stroke survivors requiring help with at least 1 activity of daily living is already at high-income country levels. South Africa suffers from a huge burden of HIV/AIDS and diseases of poverty and violence and now faces the challenge of adapting its health systems to face the coming epidemic of vascular disease.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC0321 Neuroscience. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry R Medicine > RC Internal medicine
Journal or Publication Title:	STROKE
Publisher:	LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS
ISSN:	0039-2499
Date:	March 2004
Volume:	35
Number:	3
Number of Pages:	6
Page Range:	pp. 627-632
Identification Number:	10.1161/01.STR.0000117096.61838.C7
Publication Status:	Published
URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/8711

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