# Pre-Therapeutic Assessment of Older People in Sub-Saharan Africa: Introduction to the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment

## TL;DR

This paper explores the use of comprehensive geriatric assessment in sub-Saharan Africa for older people needing invasive treatments like surgery or cancer care.

## Contribution

The paper provides a situational analysis of CGA's integration in invasive care for older people in sub-Saharan Africa.

## Key findings

- No comprehensive studies on CGA and invasive care in sub-Saharan Africa were found.
- Evidence suggests improved invasive care for older people in the region.
- Further research is needed on CGA's applicability and affordability in sub-Saharan Africa.

## Abstract

Objectives: With the ongoing epidemiological transition in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), conditions that require invasive treatment (surgery, cancer, and anaesthesia, etc.) will become increasingly common. Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) is a multidisciplinary diagnostic process aimed at identifying older people at risk of negative outcomes. It is important to know whether this approach integrates care management strategies for older people in a context where health services for older people are scarce, and staff members have little training in geriatrics. The current work is a situational analysis on the use of CGA on invasive care (cancer, surgery, etc.) among older people in SSA. Methods: We searched PubMed-MEDLINE and other sources for studies reporting on CGA and conditions requiring invasive treatment in older patients in SSA. Results/Conclusions: We found no study that had comprehensively examined CGA and invasive care in SSA. There is, however, evidence that the offer of invasive care to older people has improved in SSA. Further research is needed to explore the applicability of CGA in SSA. Similarly, more investigations are needed on the role of CGA in the care trajectories of older people in SSA, in terms of outcomes and affordability.