Sleep medicine in Africa: past, present, and future.
Volume: 17
Issue: 6
Year of Publication: 2021
Abstract summary
Interest in sleep and sleep disorders in Africa dates back thousands of years, influenced by various cultural and religious beliefs. However, the practice of sleep medicine as a specialty has been inadequate compared to other regions of the world. The objective of this study was to explore the current status of sleep medicine in Africa vis-à-vis education, professional societies, and facilities, and to identify challenges of the specialty in the region. A literature search of major electronic databases (PubMed, Google Scholar) was done. This revealed that there is a high prevalence of sleep disorders in Africa and a significant association with epilepsy, human African trypanosomiasis, human immunodeficiency virus, and other diseases. There are 6 sleep societies in Africa located in 4 countries. Forty-one sleep laboratories were identified located in 4 countries. The challenges hindering development of sleep medicine in Africa include lack of awareness, poor funding, lack of facilities, and inadequate training.Study Outcome
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Statistics
Citations : United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Dynamics . World Population Prospects. 2019. https://population.un.org/wpp/. Accessed December 12, 2020.Authors : 8
Identifiers
Doi : 10.5664/jcsm.9218SSN : 1550-9397