Neurological Disorders

Excerpt

Neurological disorders are increasingly prevalent in Sub-Saharan Africa. The factors that are producing this increased burden include malnutrition, adverse perinatal conditions, malaria, the human immunodeficiency virus and the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and other causes of encephalitis and meningitis, demographic transitions, increased vehicular traffic, and persistent regional conflicts. Leading neurological disorders include cerebral palsy, mental retardation and other developmental disorders, epilepsy, peripheral neuropathy, stroke, and, increasingly, the nervous system complications of HIV/AIDS, trauma, and alcohol abuse. The disabling rather than fatal nature of many neurological disorders, the stigma associated with brain disorders, and the enormous difficulty in gathering epidemiologic data have resulted in their being underreported and neglected in Sub-Saharan Africa. This neglect represents an unfortunate paradox, since neurological (and psychiatric) disorders make up at least 25 percent of the global burden of disease and are responsible for an even greater proportion of persons living with disability.