Surveillance of stroke: a global perspective

For preventive strategies to be efficient, it is essential to have informat ion on the pattern of disease and exposure to major risk factors that predi ct future diseases in the population. Basic epidemiological data such as mo rtality rates are reported for less than one-third of the world's populatio n and are almost exclusively from developed countries. However, it is the d eveloping countries, particularly those in rapid economic and demographic t ransition, which will experience a major rise in ageing-related diseases. The World Health Organization is intensifying the development and implement ation of simple, sustainable surveillance systems that can be used in many different settings around the world. Unlike heart disease and cancer, strok e is a clinically defined disease, which makes it possible to identify tren ds in different countries irrespective of access to technological equipment . A stepwise approach to increasing detail in the data to be collected for surveillance of stroke is suggested. This will allow countries with differe nt levels of resources and capacity in their health systems to collect usef ul information for policy.