Stroke is a leading cause of disability, dementia and death worldwide. Approximately 70% of deaths from stroke and 87% of stroke-related disability occur in low-income and middle-income countries. At the turn of the century, the most common diseases in Africa were communicable diseases, whereas non-communicable diseases, including stroke, were considered rare, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. However, evidence indicates that, today, Africa could have up to 2–3-fold greater rates of stroke incidence and higher stroke prevalence than western Europe and the USA. In Africa, data published within the past decade show that stroke has an annual incidence rate of up to 316 per 100,000, a prevalence of up to 1,460 per 100,000 and a 3-year fatality rate greater than 80%. Moreover, many Africans have a stroke within the fourth to sixth decades of life, with serious implications for the individual, their family and society. This age profile is particularly important as strokes in younger people tend to result in a greater loss of self-worth and socioeconomic productivity than in older individuals. Emerging insights from research into stroke epidemiology, genetics, prevention, care and outcomes offer great prospects for tackling the growing burden of stroke on the continent. In this article, we review the unique profile of stroke in Africa and summarize current knowledge on stroke epidemiology, genetics, prevention, acute care, rehabilitation, outcomes, cost of care and awareness. We also discuss knowledge gaps, emerging priorities and future directions of stroke medicine for the more than 1 billion people who live in Africa.

中风是全世界残疾、痴呆和死亡的主要原因。大约 70% 的中风死亡和 87% 的中风相关残疾发生在低收入和中等收入国家。在世纪之交，非洲最常见的疾病是传染病，而非传染性疾病，包括中风，被认为是罕见的，特别是在撒哈拉以南非洲。然而，有证据表明，今天非洲的中风发病率和中风患病率可能比西欧和美国高 2-3 倍。在非洲，过去十年公布的数据显示，中风的年发病率高达每 10 万人 316 人，患病率高达每 10 万人 1,460 人，3 年死亡率超过 80%。此外，许多非洲人在 40 岁到 60 岁时中风，对个人、他们的家庭和社会产生严重影响。这一年龄特征尤为重要，因为与老年人相比，年轻人中风往往会导致更大的自我价值和社会经济生产力损失。从对中风流行病学、遗传学、预防、护理和结果的研究中得出的新见解为解决非洲大陆日益严重的中风负担提供了广阔的前景。在本文中，我们回顾了非洲中风的独特概况，并总结了有关中风流行病学、遗传学、预防、急症护理、康复、结果、护理成本和意识的当前知识。我们还讨论了生活在非洲的超过 10 亿人的知识差距、新出现的优先事项和中风医学的未来方向。这一年龄特征尤为重要，因为与老年人相比，年轻人中风往往会导致更大的自我价值和社会经济生产力损失。从对中风流行病学、遗传学、预防、护理和结果的研究中得出的新见解为解决非洲大陆日益严重的中风负担提供了广阔的前景。在本文中，我们回顾了非洲中风的独特概况，并总结了有关中风流行病学、遗传学、预防、急症护理、康复、结果、护理成本和意识的当前知识。我们还讨论了生活在非洲的超过 10 亿人的知识差距、新出现的优先事项和中风医学的未来方向。这一年龄特征尤为重要，因为与老年人相比，年轻人中风往往会导致更大的自我价值和社会经济生产力损失。从对中风流行病学、遗传学、预防、护理和结果的研究中得出的新见解为解决非洲大陆日益严重的中风负担提供了广阔的前景。在本文中，我们回顾了非洲中风的独特概况，并总结了有关中风流行病学、遗传学、预防、急症护理、康复、结果、护理成本和意识的当前知识。我们还讨论了生活在非洲的超过 10 亿人的知识差距、新出现的优先事项和中风医学的未来方向。