Contribution of Noncommunicable Diseases to Medical Admissions of Elderly Adults in Africa: A Prospective, Cross‐Sectional Study in Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanzania

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Abstract
Objectives: To describe the nature of geriatric medical admissions to teaching hospitals in three countries in Africa (Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania) and compare them with data from the United Kingdom. Design: Cross‐sectional cohort study. Setting: Federal Medical Centre, Idi‐Aba, Abeokuta, Nigeria; Soba University Hospital, Khartoum, Sudan; Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, Moshi, Tanzania; and North Tyneside General Hospital, North Shields, United Kingdom. Participants: All people aged 60 and older urgently medically admitted from March 1 to August 31, 2012. Measurements: Data were collected regarding age, sex, date of admission, length of stay, diagnoses, medication, date of discharge or death, and discharge destination. Results: In Africa, noncommunicable diseases ( NCD s) accounted for 81.0% (n = 708) of admissions (n = 874), and tuberculosis, malaria, and the human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome accounted for 4.6% (n = 40). Cerebrovascular accident (n = 224, 25.6%) was the most common reason for admission, followed by cardiac or circulatory dysfunction (n = 150, 17.2%). Rates of hypertension were remarkably similar in the United Kingdom (45.8%) and Africa (40.2%). Conclusions: In the elderly population, the predicted increased burden of NCD s on health services in Africa appears to have occurred. Greater awareness and some reallocation of resources toward NCD s may be required if the burden of such diseases is to be reduced.

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