Words from the President, May 2026

15 Jun 2026

May 2026 has been a historic period for global stroke advocacy. The WSO/ESO/AHA/ASA joint session at ESOC 2026 in Maastricht was highly productive, with panel discussions focusing on the implementation and prevention of stroke care worldwide.

Reflections from hashtag#WHA79: A Defining Moment for Stroke Care: First ever Resolution of Stroke adopted by WHA

On May 22nd the World Health Assembly has adopted the first-ever resolution dedicated to stroke, marking a major milestone that could transform the global response to one of the world’s leading killers.

Reading the statement in WHA in agenda item 12.4 under universal health coverage about the stroke resolution was a personally touching moment for me as President of WSO.

Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Health and Population of Egypt, who submitted the resolution to the Assembly, together with Chile, Georgia, Palestine, Paraguay and Tunisia. We recognize the support by Prof Mohammed Fawzi, MOH, Egypt, Prof Mohammed Hassany MOH, Egypt.

For me, this felt like a long-overdue acknowledgement of stroke—not just as a clinical issue, but as a global health systems priority.

Recognizing leadership and collaboration

This landmark resolution would not have been possible without strong global leadership.

The World Health Organization (WHO) played a central role in bringing stroke to the forefront of the global health agenda.

The Ministry of Health and Population, Egypt, together with co-sponsoring Member States, was instrumental in proposing the resolution.

The World Stroke Organization (WSO) and the Global Stroke Action Coalition (GSAC) Members partners were pivotal in advocating for this agenda through constituency statements and global coalition-building.

Why this resolution matters globally

From my perspective, this resolution is more than symbolic—it sets the stage for real change:

Elevates stroke within the global NCD and UHC agenda

Pushes countries to strengthen health systems and workforce capacity

Calls for better data, surveillance, and accountability

Prioritizes equity, especially for low- and middle-income countries

Promotes a continuum-of-care model that can transform outcomes

World Stroke Organization Leads Landmark Stroke Symposium in Central Asia

I was honored to participate in the International Congress on Current Issues in Neurology – Focus on Education and Clinical Practice, held in Almaty on 29–30 May.

A key highlight of the congress was the Stroke Symposium organized by the World Stroke Organization (WSO). It was a privilege to be part of an outstanding faculty alongside Prof. Craig Anderson (President-Elect), Prof. Valeria Caso (Treasurer), Prof. Gustavo Saposnik (Vice President), and Dr. Raj Sreenivas Parthasarathy.

The congress was excellently organized by Prof. Erkyn Nurguzhaev, President of the Association of Neurologists of Kazakhstan, and Prof. Saule Turuspekova, Chief Neurologist of the Health Ministry, with valuable support from Mr Axel, Mr Nikita Ivanov, Ms Dina, Ever Pharma and Dr Lev Pristupluk, MD Angels Initiative for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

With around 300 delegates representing Central Asian countries—including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Russia—the meeting provided a vibrant platform for knowledge exchange.
The Stroke Symposium covered critical and contemporary topics such as:
Advances in reperfusion therapies
Stroke unit management
Intracerebral hemorrhage
Cerebral venous thrombosis
Stroke prevention and rehabilitation

I had the opportunity to deliver a plenary lecture on WSO strategies to reduce the global burden of stroke. We look forward to strengthening collaboration with Central Asian stroke centers to standardize and elevate stroke care through the rollout of the WSO Stroke Center Certification Program.

Grateful for the enriching discussions, collaborations, and the shared commitment to improving stroke care globally.

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