A Systematic Review of the Burden of Stroke in Ghana

Background: Stroke is considered a significant public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa and Ghana due to its impact on quality of life. However, there is a lack of comprehensive pooled data on the prevalence and incidence rates of stroke in Ghana. Updating this information would help inform decision-making bodies on measures to reduce the burden of stroke in Ghana. This systematic review is aimed at critically appraising evidence gathered from studies done in Ghana on the prevalence and incidence rates of stroke among the Ghanaian population. Method: Four databases (CINAHL via EBSCOhost, Web of Science, MEDLINE via PubMed, and PsycINFO via EBSCOhost) were searched, for articles published between May 2000 and May 2020 on stroke burden. The search was constrained to studies conducted in Ghana and published in English that have been peer reviewed. Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to assess the quality of evidence. Meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the pooled stroke prevalence and incidence in the country. Results: A total of three studies that documented 12,974 stroke cases in 1,197,498 participants based on the inclusion criteria were reviewed. The meta-analysis revealed that the overall national prevalence and incidence rate of stroke for the country were 7.96% and 1.17%, respectively, calculated at 95% confidence intervals. Conclusion: According to the review findings, the incidence and prevalence rates of stroke are high in Ghana or among the Ghanaian population, and they are increasing.