Driving Action on Stroke at the WHO - WSO at the 158th Executive Board Session

11 Feb 2026

A Pivotal Moment for Stroke Policy

Geneva February 3^rd will be marked as a pivotal moment for global stroke policy, as health leaders attending the WHO Executive Board approved a landmark resolution Reducing the Burden of Stroke: Strengthening prevention, acute care, rehabilitation and health system readiness.

Submitted by the governments of Chile, Egypt, Palestine, Paraguay and Tunisia, the resolution fills a long‑standing gap in global health policy by calling for dedicated, coordinated action on stroke. It urges Member States to recognise stroke as a major public health priority and to establish national objectives across the full care pathway—within cardiovascular and neurological health strategies, as well as universal health coverage plans.

With Executive Board approval secured, the resolution will now move to the World Health Assembly in May for formal adoption by Member States.

WSO’s Role and Response

Speaking on behalf of the World Stroke Organization, Executive Director Mia Grupper delivered a formal statement welcoming the resolution and emphasizing the growing-and unequally distributed-global burden of stroke. She highlighted stroke’s significant contribution to the overall noncommunicable disease burden and endorsed the resolution as a comprehensive and coordinated approach that will help countries advance their global health and development commitments.

The new resolution reflects the key recommendations in Stroke Action Now, the global policy brief published in 2025 by the WSO‑convened Global Stroke Action Coalition. Coalition partners are now developing a programme of follow‑up activities to support implementation and strengthen accountability for the recommended actions.

As an official WHO partner, WSO will continue to provide technical expertise across normative guidance development, data monitoring and reporting, and health system capacity strengthening.

In addition to our contribution on the stroke resolution, WSO also submitted five statements individual and in collaboration with our global health partners: