Abstract:

Stroke continues to disproportionately burden low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where resource scarcity, deeply ingrained cultural beliefs, and systemic weaknesses severely impede effective care across the entire continuum. This article critically examines the current landscape of stroke care in LMICs — -from symptom recognition and prehospital response to acute treatment and long-term rehabilitation. Drawing on the latest Global Burden of Disease (GBD 2021) data, this report highlights the alarming rise in stroke incidence and associated disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in LMICs, a trend starkly contrasting with improvements in high-income countries (HICs). Key challenges identified include pervasive low public awareness, significant prehospital delays exacerbated by inadequate emergency medical services (EMS) and geographical barriers, limited access to essential diagnostics and life-saving therapies, and a profound deficit in rehabilitation infrastructure and specialized personnel. This work also explores the often-overlooked influence of cultural misattributions of stroke and the substantial socioeconomic burden on informal caregivers. This analysis identifies and analyses innovative, scalable solutions—such as community education initiatives, mobile stroke units (MSUs), drone-based medical delivery, task-shifting models, and telemedicine—demonstrating their potential to bridge critical gaps. By quantifying the economic imperative and proposing actionable policy frameworks, this article underscores the urgent global investment required to achieve stroke care equity and mitigate stroke’s devastating human and economic toll in the world’s most vulnerable regions.

Keywords:

STROKE CARE, LOW- AND MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES (LMICS), HEALTH DISPARITIES, GLOBAL HEALTH, SYMPTOM <br /> RECOGNITION, PREHOSPITAL CARE, ACUTE TREATMENT, REHABILITATION, ECONOMIC BURDEN, <br /> POLICY, INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS, GBD 2021.