Neurologists raise the alarm as stroke hits one Nigerian every minute
Neurologists in Nigeria report that one person suffers a stroke every minute, highlighting a severe lack of medical infrastructure and specialists. Experts are calling for urgent government intervention to improve public health awareness and diagnostic access.
Why it matters
The rising burden of non-communicable diseases in Nigeria poses a significant threat to public health and economic productivity.
As the global community commemorates World Brain Day tomorrow, July 22, leading neurologists in Nigeria have said that at least one Nigerian develops a stroke every minute, noting that the country remains under-resourced in specialists, infrastructure and diagnostics to prevent, diagnose and treat neurological disorders.
The brain and stroke specialists exclusively told PUNCH Healthwise that stroke was the leading cause of brain disease in Nigeria, with dementia, epilepsy, headaches, neonatal encephalopathy, traumatic brain injuries and other brain conditions accounting for a significant disease burden.
They noted that about 80 per cent of strokes and 45 per cent of dementias were preventable through lifestyle changes and the control of underlying conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol, stating that Nigeria bore a peculiar triple burden of rising non-communicable diseases such as stroke, post-infection complications particularly from meningitis, and malnutrition-related conditions.
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