Stroke in South Asian countries

The South Asian region, which includes India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, has a high prevalence of stroke, especially in younger individuals, and short-term mortality from stroke is also highIn addition to traditional risk factors for stroke, nontraditional factors including chewing tobacco are widespread in this regionSouth Asia accounts for the largest proportion of the global burden of stroke in pregnancy and cerebral venous thrombosisAcute stroke care, including thrombolysis and stroke units, is limited in South Asia, and stroke prevention strategies are nonexistent at the national levelCost-effective interventions are needed owing to financial constraintsImportant areas of intervention include public awareness and physician training, as well as strong advocacy efforts and implementation research