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Defining Social and Cultural Barriers to Global Stroke Care: A SVIN–Mission Thrombectomy Initiative
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Defining Social and Cultural Barriers to Global Stroke Care: A SVIN–Mission Thrombectomy Initiative

Fawaz Al-Mufti, Eric Feldstein, Aarti Kishore Jain, Nimrod Gozum, Alexandria F. Naftchi, Andre Calixte, Eris Spirollari, Akash Thaker, Jason Singh, Sedna Gandhi, …
Stroke: vascular and interventional neurology
05/19/2026
DOI: 10.1161/SVIN.125.002168
url
https://doi.org/10.1161/SVIN.125.002168View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Stroke has become the single leading neurological illness that results in neurological disability and is the second most common cause of death worldwide. Approximately 85% of strokes are ischemic, whereas the remaining 15% are hemorrhagic. With the advent of increasingly effective treatment modalities, such as intravenous thrombolytics and endovascular mechanical thrombectomy, there has been a growing disparity in the ability to provide standard of care, despite substantial efforts made in lower- and middle-income countries. substantial effort in high-income countries to provide the current standard of care to patients with stroke, with the hope of improving outcomes. Extensive research has shown that the disparities in treatment among various countries stem from multiple sociocultural barriers and the lack of robust healthcare infrastructure. The societal influences in play include the lack of knowledge of stroke symptoms, cultural beliefs, health, and spiritual fatalism, which are then associated with delayed healthcare-seeking behaviors. As a result, it is imperative to increase access to treatment for patients with stroke to address inequities in stroke care and diminish the global burden of stroke. This narrative review highlights causes of major gaps in stroke treatment infrastructure in several global communities and examines the pertinent sociocultural factors that impede progress in stroke treatment.

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