Secondary Prevention: A Cost-Effective Yet Underutilized Strategy for Reducing the Stroke Burden in Resource-Limited Settings
type: CreativeWork
description: BACKGROUND: Over two-thirds of global stroke occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), where the populations are affected on average 15 years younger. Those who survive potentially lose their livelihood and are financially vulnerable to health care expenses. On a national level, stroke DALYs rob the developing economy of its workforce. Cost-effective prevention strategies and interventions could help reduce the stroke burden in LMIC. Primary prevention is considered the top priority, but it necessitates sufficient infrastructure and human resources for successful campaigns. In resource-limited health systems, the population at greatest risk for stroke are likely not receiving regular health maintenance. OBJECTIVE: Secondary prevention targets the cohort seeking medical attention for an incident stroke. It is hypothesized to be a more feasible strategy of improving stroke rates in LMIC by reducing recurrence in high-risk populations. The objectives of this study are to compare stroke risk and secondary prevention practices across four different countries of varying income level, and to determine which secondary prevention drug regimen would be optimal for resource-limited settings. METHODS: Current economic and health indicator data were collected from the World Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO) on the United States, France, Vietnam, and Peru. Death and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) rates along with risk factor prevalences for each country were accessed from the WHO. Literature reviews on secondary prevention of recurrent stroke and healthcare-utilization in the developing world were conducted on MEDLINE and Pubmed databases using the following key words: stroke, epidemiology, risk factors, stroke burden, secondary prevention, secondary prevention drugs, cost-effectiveness, healthcare-utilization, resource-limited settings, developing world, developing countries, and LMIC. Articles that addressed thesis objectives were selected for review.…
abstract: BACKGROUND: Over two-thirds of global stroke occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), where the populations are affected on average 15 years younger. Those who survive potentially lose their livelihood and are financially vulnerable to health care expenses. On a national level, stroke DALYs rob the developing economy of its workforce. Cost-effective prevention strategies and interventions could help reduce the stroke burden in LMIC. Primary prevention is considered the top priority, but it necessitates sufficient infrastructure and human resources for successful campaigns. In resource-limited health systems, the population at greatest risk for stroke are likely not receiving regular health maintenance. OBJECTIVE: Secondary prevention targets the cohort seeking medical attention for an incident stroke. It is hypothesized to be a more feasible strategy of improving stroke rates in LMIC by reducing recurrence in high-risk populations. The objectives of this study are to compare stroke risk and secondary prevention practices across four different countries of varying income level, and to determine which secondary prevention drug regimen would be optimal for resource-limited settings. METHODS: Current economic and health indicator data were collected from the World Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO) on the United States, France, Vietnam, and Peru. Death and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) rates along with risk factor prevalences for each country were accessed from the WHO. Literature reviews on secondary prevention of recurrent stroke and healthcare-utilization in the developing world were conducted on MEDLINE and Pubmed databases using the following key words: stroke, epidemiology, risk factors, stroke burden, secondary prevention, secondary prevention drugs, cost-effectiveness, healthcare-utilization, resource-limited settings, developing world, developing countries, and LMIC. Articles that addressed thesis objectives were selected for review.…
author: Rimmer, Kathryn
language: en
keywords: Global Health, Peru, Public Health, Secondary Prevention, Vietnam
date published: 2017-06-02T15:26:32Z
date modified: 2026-07-24T05:52:17Z
provider: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: https://hdl.handle.net/2152.5/4117