Deficiencies in infrastructure for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke in Colombia

Abstract

The lack of access to reperfusion therapies for nearly 10% of Colombia’s population has a significant impact on disability rates, quality-adjusted life years lost, productive years lost, and stroke-related mortality.

This diagnosis poses critical challenges:

1. Adherence to health system principles: Efficiency, universality, comprehensiveness, unity, solidarity, and participation. Each principle is compromised to varying degrees by the absence of infrastructure in affected regions (4).

1. Brain health as a development priority: The relationship between brain health, productivity, and quality of life is well established (5). The lack of access to standard treatment for one of the most disabling neurological diseases perpetuates a vicious cycle of illness, poverty, and limited development.

1. Public policy formulation: Colombia faces the complex challenge of legislating and creating public policies that address the needs of both urban populations and those in remote, rural, and insular areas, guaranteeing equal rights to health services for all Colombians (6).

In conclusion, Colombia faces significant deficiencies in basic stroke treatment infrastructure ¾especially in underserved regions¾ a low rate of certified stroke centers, a substantial proportion of patients who would remain untreated in the event of a stroke, and a grave threat to brain health and human development. The most affected geographic regions are the Orinoco, Amazon, and Pacific areas. We call upon the Ministry of Health, municipal and departmental authorities, scientific societies, insurers, and health care providers to take appropriate measures, within their respective mandates, to guarantee access to stroke treatment for populations in these regions.