Words from the President, February 2023

03 Mar 2023 Words from the President

February was a great month for the WSO activities. During the International Stroke Conference 2023 in Dallas we had the opportunity to show the initial results of the WSOSIECV Certification of Stroke Centers in Latin America and Caribbean region. Launched in March 2021 we certified in 2 years 41 hospitals in 9 countries, 50% as Essential and 50% Advanced, with Public hospitals representing 50% of the certified centers. The hospitals certified are from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and hospitals in more 6 countries in the region are in preparation. The hospitals certified increased from the first self assessment evaluation with 69% of the elements recommended in the WSO Roadmap implemented, to 91% implemented in the official application for certification, with a mean time between both evaluations of 8 months. This shows a huge improvement occurring in the region because of the certification.

During the ISC we had the opportunity to meet the World Health Organization represented by Slim Slama and Taskin Khan, for a Collaborative work in preparation of a WHO Strategic Framework for the management of acute coronary syndrome and stroke. The WSO members for this work, representing all world regions and are Sheila Martins (Brazil), Bo Norrving (Sweeden), Jeyaraj Pandian (India), Carlos Molina (Spain), Raul Nogueira (United States), Epifania Collantes, Maria Khan and Meron Gebrewold. For the first time WHO, working with partners (WSO and World Heart Federation), will focus on acute care to advise health managers, mainly Ministers of Health, about the importance to organize acute care, what the main interventions evidence-based should be implemented and how to implement. This WHO initiative will strength our efforts to implement Stroke Services with stroke units, thrombolysis and thrombectomy as a priority in all countries.

And finally we had a wonderful Board of Directors Meeting on February 28 with approximately 40 people discussing the WSO next steps. Thank you all for your incredible commitment to work with the WSO and to change the burden of stroke worldwide.

(Figure 1 Stroke working group meeting in Dallas 6-7 February 2023)

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