Strokes in Black Africa

Abstract

The study of strokes in Africa bears at the same time an epidemiological, etiological, semiological and therapeutical interest. The studies made on the black continent [11] these early thirty years show the necessity in this sector which remains unexplored, to evaluate the incidence and the prevalence of stroke in order to elaborate programmes and research protocols adapted to our realities. However, it is difficult to have a coherent interpretation of the results of these studies because of the high variability of epidemiological clues. In black Aflica, in Nigeria [1], the prevalence of strokes was 60,67/100.000 persons. These rates of prevalence observed in Africa go against the rate reported in industrialised countries 145/100.000 persons [2] and could suggest the existence of some particularities that are special to Africa continent.