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Stroke in Africa: profile, progress, prospects and priorities
Akinyemi RO, Ovbiagele B, Adeniji OA, Sarfo FS, Abd-Allah F, Adoukonou T, Ogah OS, Naidoo P et al.. Nature reviews. Neurology, 2021-09-15
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Stroke is a leading cause of disability, dementia and death worldwide. Approximately 70% of deaths from stroke and 87% of stroke-related disability occur in low-income and middle-income countries. At the turn of the century, the most common diseases in Africa were communicable diseases, whereas non-communicable diseases, including stroke, were considered rare, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. However, evidence indicates that, today, Africa could have up to 2-3-fold greater rates of stroke incidence and higher stroke prevalence than western Europe and the USA. In Africa, data published within the past decade show that stroke has an annual incidence rate of up to 316 per 100,000, a prevalence of up to 1,460 per 100,000 and a 3-year fatality rate greater than 80%. Moreover, many Africans have a stroke within the fourth to sixth decades of life, with serious implications for the individual, their family and society. This age profile is particularly important as strokes in younger people tend to result in a greater loss of self-worth and socioeconomic productivity than in older individuals. Emerging insights from research into stroke epidemiology, genetics, prevention, care and outcomes offer great prospects for tackling the growing burden of stroke on the continent. In this article, we review the unique profile of stroke in Africa and summarize current knowledge on stroke epidemiology, genetics, prevention, acute care, rehabilitation, outcomes, cost of care and awareness. We also discuss knowledge gaps, emerging priorities and future directions of stroke medicine for the more than 1 billion people who live in Africa.
Key findings
- However, evidence indicates that, today, Africa could have up to 2-3-fold greater rates of stroke incidence and higher stroke prevalence than western Europe and the USA.
- This age profile is particularly important as strokes in younger people tend to result in a greater loss of self-worth and socioeconomic productivity than in older individuals.
Why it matters
This review describes the high and growing burden of stroke in Africa, including its role as a cause of dementia, with strokes often occurring in younger adults. It is about stroke epidemiology and prevention on the continent, not about treating, curing or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 56/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Nature reviews. Neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Nature Reviews Neurology: journal h-index 269 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 3 / 5 | 2021 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 340 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 48.6 citations a year over 7 year(s) since 2021 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 9.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 4 / 4 | Cited 239 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Mayowa Ojo Owolabi: h-index 111 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of California, San Francisco: institution h-index 1,915 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 13 institution(s) in 7 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 34526674) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 56 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1038/s41582-021-00542-4
- PubMed: 34526674
- Original source →
- Free full text: Nature Reviews Neurology →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Akinyemi, R. O., Ovbiagele, B., Adeniji, O. A., Sarfo, F. S., Abd-Allah, F., Adoukonou, T., et al. (2021). Stroke in Africa: profile, progress, prospects and priorities. Nature reviews. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41582-021-00542-4
Vancouver
Akinyemi RO, Ovbiagele B, Adeniji OA, Sarfo FS, Abd-Allah F, Adoukonou T, et al. Stroke in Africa: profile, progress, prospects and priorities. Nature reviews. Neurology. 2021. doi:10.1038/s41582-021-00542-4. PMID: 34526674.
BibTeX
@article{akinyemi2021-34526674,
author = {Akinyemi, R. O. and Ovbiagele, B. and Adeniji, O. A. and Sarfo, F. S. and Abd-Allah, F. and Adoukonou, T. and Ogah, O. S. and Naidoo, P. and others},
title = {{Stroke in Africa: profile, progress, prospects and priorities}},
journal = {Nature reviews. Neurology},
year = {2021},
doi = {10.1038/s41582-021-00542-4},
pmid = {34526674},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41582-021-00542-4}
}
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