Department of Medicine, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.
Department of Surgery, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.
J Clin Sleep Med. 2021 Jun 1;17(6):1317-1321. doi: 10.5664/jcsm.9218.
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.
非洲对睡眠和睡眠障碍的研究可以追溯到几千年前,这受到了各种文化和宗教信仰的影响。然而,与世界其他地区相比,睡眠医学作为一个专业领域的实践还远远不够。本研究的目的是探讨非洲睡眠医学的现状,包括教育、专业协会和设施,并确定该地区该专业的挑战。对主要电子数据库(PubMed、Google Scholar)进行了文献检索。这表明非洲的睡眠障碍发病率很高,并且与癫痫、非洲锥虫病、人类免疫缺陷病毒和其他疾病有显著关联。非洲有 6 个位于 4 个国家的睡眠学会。确定了 41 个位于 4 个国家的睡眠实验室。阻碍非洲睡眠医学发展的挑战包括缺乏意识、资金不足、缺乏设施和培训不足。