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Pediatric Neurology in Resource-Limited Settings: a Systematic Review

  • Neurology (D Stephenson, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

The goal of this review is to provide a succinct summary of issues related to the practice of child neurology in resource-limited settings. Questions addressed in this review include the comparative epidemiology of neurologic disorders affecting children in low-resource settings, changes in epidemiology over time, challenges posed by neurologic disorders in these settings, and health system-based solutions to those challenges.

Recent Findings

A number of recent epidemiological studies including the Global Burden of Disease studies have elucidated key differences in the epidemiology of neurologic disorders in low-resource setting. Neurologic disorders account for a substantial portion of the burden of disease in both high-resource and low-resource settings, but the relative prevalence of specific disorders are substantially different between these settings.

Summary

There has been a trend over the last 25 years towards a relative decrease in the prevalence of neurologic disorders secondary to communicable disorders in resource-limited settings, with a relative increase in the prevalence of noncommunicable neurologic disorders. However, the burden of neurologic disorders secondary to infectious causes and malnutrition in resource-limited settings remains substantial. Barriers to optimizing neurologic care in resource-limited settings include (1) absence of financial resources and government commitment; (2) concentration of most resources in urban areas; (3) challenges of integration of neurologic care into primary care settings; (4) scarcity of neurologic expertise; and (5) stigma associated with neurologic disorders.

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  1. Division of Child Neurology, Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Ave, Box 21, Rochester, NY, USA

    David R. Bearden

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Bearden, D.R. Pediatric Neurology in Resource-Limited Settings: a Systematic Review. Curr Pediatr Rep 6, 34–39 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40124-018-0155-x

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