Standard method for developing stroke registers in low-income and middle-income countries: experiences from a feasibility study of a stepwise approach to stroke surveillance (STEPS Stroke)

Background Stroke is a leading global cause of death, with an estimated 5·8 million fatal events in 2005, two-thirds of which happened in low-income and middle-income countries. In these regions, epidemiological methods to establish hospital-based stroke registers for clinical audit or studies to estimate incidence are scarce. Our aim was to ascertain whether stroke registers could be set up in geographically diverse populations in low-income...