Defining Social and Cultural Barriers to Global Stroke Care: A SVIN–Mission Thrombectomy Initiative
Year: 2026
Type: article
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.
Authors: Fawaz Al-Mufti, Alexandria F. Naftchi, Andre Calixte, Eric Feldstein, Aarti Kishore Jain, Nimrod Gozum, Eris Spirollari, Akash Thaker, Jason Singh, Sedna Gandhi, Priyank Khandelwal, Victor Urrutia, Nabeel Herial, Pankajavalli Ramakrishnan, Gabor Toth, Mohamad El-Ghanem, Krishna Amuluru, Viktor Szeder, Jonathan Crowe, Karol Budohoski, Zurab Nadareishvili, Kaustubh Limaye, Fazeel Siddiqui, Hamza Shaikh, Nishita Singh, Hesham Masoud, Sushanth R. Aroor, Shashvat Desai, Santiago Ortega-Gutierrez, Tareq Kass-Hout, Kaiz Asif, Dileep Yavagal, on behalf of the Mission Thrombectomy Collaborative
Institutions: Westchester Medical Center, New York Medical College, University Hospital, Newark, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, MidHudson Regional Hospital, Cleveland Clinic, HCA Healthcare, University of California, Los Angeles, University of Virginia, University of Utah, Virginia Hospital Center, Indiana University Indianapolis, Indiana University School of Medicine, University of Michigan, Cooper University Health Care, University of Manitoba, SUNY Upstate Medical University, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, HonorHealth, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, University of Chicago, University of Chicago Medical Center, Ascension, University of Miami, Jackson Health System
Language: English
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,300
OpenAlex ID: W7161623628