Incidence and prevalence of stroke and its risk factors in the Philippines: A systematic review

Background@#Various epidemiologic studies reported different stroke incidence and prevalence rates in the Philippines. Thus, there is a need to synthesize existing information on these indicators to depict more accurate evidence on the burden on stroke in the country. @*Objective@#The objective of this systematic review is to provide evidence on the incidence and prevalence of stroke in the Philippines, as well as its associated risk factors. @*Methods@#PubMed and HERDIN were searched for available full-text Philippine epidemiologic studies on stroke incidence and prevalence, whether population or hospital-based, and its associated risk factors. We used three tools for risk of bias assessment, namely, the Newcastle Ottawa Scale for cohort studies, the Quality assessment checklist of Hoy et al. for cross-sectional prevalence studies, and the AXIS tool for general cross-sectional studies. @*Results@#A total of 14 studies were included in this review. Based on these studies, the national stroke incidence rate ranged from 3.95% to 5.61%, while the national stroke prevalence rate ranged from 0.486% to 6.0%. Hypertension remains the commonly reported risk factor of stroke alongside diabetes, smoking, and high cholesterol level. @*Conclusions@#Despite limitations, we were able to perform a complete assessment of the risk of bias in included studies which provide information on the studies with reliable information. Based on this systematic review, there is variability on data and limited studies on the national epidemiology of stroke in the Philippines. It is recommended that the national government consider establishing a system such as a national registry for better data collection and analysis.

Intersectoral collaborations for the prevention and control of Vector Borne diseases: A scoping review

Objectives@#This scoping review aimed to support a landscape analysis to identify lessons learned about intersectoral collaborations (ISCs) by describing their existing models in the context of dengue, malaria and yellow fever.@*Methods@#A scoping review following the methodology of Joanna Briggs Institute was performed using the following inclusion criteria: studies involving humans; studies discussing intersectoral collaborations, malaria/dengue/yellow fever, and prevention or control at any level; and studies in countries endemic for the aforementioned diseases. Studies were screened using Covidence, while data were extracted using NVivo.@*Results@#Of the 7,535 records retrieved, 69 were included in the qualitative analysis. Most ISCs were initiated by multilateral organizations and ministries of health, and none by communities. Strategies included advocacy, health education, research, public health measures, resource mobilization, service delivery and training; mostly employed on a community level. Monitoring and evaluation were mostly formative, ongoing, and participatory. Gaps included administrative and policy barriers, resource shortages, and inadequate research and training.@*Conclusions@#Multiple models of ISC exist in the literature. There is a need to develop a comprehensive framework for an effective and sustainable multisectoral approach for the prevention and control of VBDs ensuring adequate resources, active stakeholders, and strategies that span the entire socio-ecological spectrum.