Stroke in Maputo Central Hospital, Mozambique 2019: A glimpse of epidemic or endemicity?

Objective The aim of this study is to determine the endemic/epidemic pattern of stroke in Maputo Central Hospital in the first semester of 2019. Results During the period 2014-18, there were 2,979 registered cases of stroke in MCH, ranging from 512 in 2017 and 687 in 2015. The mean monthly registered cases per year ranged from 43 in 2017 to 57 in 2015. The C-SUM+1.96SD and mean+2SD methods have the highest monthly thresholds comparing to C-SUM and 3rd quartile methods. An epidemic pattern of stroke was observed during the first semester of 2019 when 3rd quartile and C-SUM threshold epidemic method was used. A relatively stable pattern of stroke occurrence with high registered cases was observed during the study period. It can be concluded that stroke is an endemic disease for the Maputo Central Hospital, with an epidemic pattern during the first semester of 2019. Adoption of 3rd quartile threshold methods for stroke surveillance might well add value for the control of the stroke epidemics.