ABSTRACT
Background: Neurological disorders are common causes of permanent deformity and death, especially in the developing nations (Asekomeh, Onwuchekwa and Iyagba, 2009). There is a need for a precise estimate of the epidemiological burden of neurological disorder in subSaharan Africa to inform policy-related decisions. Objective: To evaluate the epidemiological burden of neurological disorders in sub-Saharan Africa. Eligibility: Articles included reported epidemiological studies published in English portraying the burden of neurological disorders among elderly people in sub-Saharan Africa between 2009 and 2020. Sources of information: Searches were undertaken of PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL & Academic Search Complete. Data synthesis and assessment of heterogeneity: Owing to missing data and dissimilarity of effect sizes, we employed narrative synthesis to evaluate the variables (included in the study) of neurological disorders among elderly people in sub-Saharan Africa. Data analysis: Data was summarised using descriptive statistic of range. The quality appraisal score obtained on the mixed method appraisal tool was graphically presented using forest plot. Comprehensive Meta-analysis (CMA) software version 3 aided the analysis. Results Dementia was the most common neurological disorder in sub-Saharan Africa, with prevalence estimates between 5.67% in year 2016 and 66.6% in year 2012. Prevalence of stroke varies between 0.98% and 4.5%. Of the neurological disorders, stroke-related mortality varied between 10.8% and 33.3%. Correlates in this review included older age, gender, smoking, alcohol, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and obesity, in their other of importance. v Conclusion: The most prevalent neurological disorders in sub-Saharan Africa are dementia and stroke. Stroke-related mortality decreased between 2010 and 2015 but rose again in 2017. Prevalent correlates of neurological disorders are older age, gender, smoking, alcohol, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and obesity. There is paucity of data to establish the financial burden of common neurological disorders such as dementia and stroke in sub-Saharan Africa. Keywords: Burden, neurological disorders, elderly, sub-Saharan Africa
