The salient characteristics of these studies have been summarized in Table 1. Studies from Asia have been undertaken in developed countries such as South Korea and Hong Kong in China and in some developing countries such as Brazil, Myanmar, Iran, Oman, Pakistan, and India. Studies on the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of stroke have mostly been undertaken in developed countries over the last two decades. Further, there is a lack of knowledge and indifference about that timely treatment of hypertension and appropriate lifestyle changes that may help to decrease the incidence of stroke and morbidity among stroke-survivors in the long run. Delay in hospitalization contributes to high mortality and morbidity in stroke but ignorance about stroke symptoms, poor infrastructure, and hesitancy about hospital admission even when infrastructure and access are available often leads to delay. Thrombolytics can be used only within the window period, for which early identification of the signs and symptoms of stroke is essential. For instance, it is important to know that therapeutic opportunities in stroke are limited. Without public knowledge and the right attitude and practices, stroke burden cannot be reduced.

These statistics underscore the urgency with which the phenomenon of stroke needs to be studied in India with the goal of reducing the huge stroke burden that the country is facing. It is estimated that at present, approximately 1.8 million Indians out of a population of 1.2 billion suffer from stroke every year and about one-third of them die annually while another one-third are left with some permanent disability. The stroke burden in India has been rising over the past few decades in comparison to the developed countries where it has reached a plateau or is decreasing. Stroke is a major public health problem worldwide.

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