title: [Neurologic diseases in a rural tropical area: experience at a primary health care center in the Boeny region of Madagascar].
abstract: There is, to our knowledge, no study reporting the demand for health care related to neurological diseases in rural tropical areas of developing countries. Neurology is nonetheless more or less closely related to the priority health issues in these countries. Over a 6-week period, 626 patients were seen at the primary health center in the town of Madirovalo, Madagascar. Neurological disorders accounted for 11.1% of the consultations. The neurological disorders most frequently leading to consultations were headaches (42.7%), with primary headaches accounting for 16%; next came leprosy neuropathy (14.7%), with a worrisome total of 8 new cases; other peripheral neuropathies (13.3%), and epilepsy (12%). The relatively low share of the latter seems likely related to families' frequent use of traditional healers rather than Western medicine. Neurological diseases appears to represent a significant part of the health-care demand of people living in rural tropical areas of developing countries, and specific support in this specialization is essential.
authors.affiliation: Service de neurologie, hôpital central, CHU de Nancy, av du Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, 54035 Nancy, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gaud
authors.affiliation: EA 4360 Apemac, Nancy université, université Paul-Verlaine-Metz, université Paris-Descartes, 54035 Nancy, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sauvée
authors.affiliation: EA 4360 Apemac, Nancy université, université Paul-Verlaine-Metz, université Paris-Descartes, 54035 Nancy, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Debouverie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008270:Madagascar / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012424:Rural Population; D014329:Tropical Climate; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Madagascar; epilepsy; leprosy; neurology; primary healthcare