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. 2019 Feb 1;16(3):419.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph16030419.

Cardiovascular Disease Healthcare Utilization in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Scoping Review

Herbert Chikafu  1 , Moses J Chimbari  2
Affiliations

Cardiovascular Disease Healthcare Utilization in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Scoping Review

Herbert Chikafu et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries face a growing burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD), attributed to economic, nutritional, demographic, and epidemiological transitions. These factors increase the prevalence of CVD risk factors, and the CVD burden overlaps with a high prevalence of infectious diseases. This review aimed to understand CVD healthcare utilization determinants and levels in SSA. We conducted a systematic search of the literature on major databases for the period 2008⁻2018 using exhaustive combinations of CVD and utilization indicators as search terms. Eighteen studies from eight countries were included in this review. Most studies (88.8%) followed the quantitative methodology and largely focused on inpatient stroke care. Two-thirds of patients sought care within 24 h of suffering a stroke, and the length of stay (LOS) in hospital ranged between 6 and 81 days. Results showed a rising trend of CVD admissions within total hospital admissions. Coverage of physiotherapy services was limited and varied between countries. While few studies included rural populations, utilization was found to be negatively associated with rural residence and socioeconomic status. There is a need to extend healthcare provision in SSA to ensure access to the CVD continuum of care.

Keywords: burden of disease; cardiovascular disease; healthcare utilization; sub-Saharan Africa; utilization determinants.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study selection Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) flow diagram.2.2. Data Extraction and Synthesis.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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