Words from the President, September 2025

03 Oct 2025

World Stroke Organization and GAHAR Sign Landmark MOU to Elevate Stroke Care in Egypt

The World Stroke Organization (WSO) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the General Authority for Healthcare Accreditation and Regulation (GAHAR), Egypt, to jointly certify stroke centers across the country. This strategic partnership aims to enhance the quality of stroke care and improve outcomes for stroke patients in Egypt.

The signing ceremony was graced by distinguished dignitaries including Prof. Ahmed Taha, Chairman of GAHAR; Prof. Husam Salah, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University; and Prof. Jeyaraj Pandian D. Pandian, President of the World Stroke Organization.

Following the MOU signing, a collaborative discussion was held regarding the launch of the stroke center certification program in Egypt. As part of the agreement, WSO will play a key role in capacity building, training healthcare professionals and assessors, and supporting the implementation of international best practices in stroke care.

This joint initiative marks a significant step forward in strengthening Egypt’s stroke care infrastructure and ensuring better health outcomes for patients nationwide.

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I also attended the Egyptian Society Of Neurology, Psychiatry and Neurosurgery and MENASO Joint stroke conference in Cairo. It was attended by more than 500 delegates from Egypt and there were several parallel workshops. I met many of the officials from Ministry of Health.

Asia Pacific Stroke Conference 2025 – Kobe, Japan

Honored to attend the Asia Pacific Stroke Conference (APSC) hosted by Asia Pacific Stroke Organization (APSO) in Kobe. The joint session between APSO and World Stroke Organization (WSO) highlighted unique stroke etiologies and management strategies in Asian populations.

I had the opportunity to speak about the WSO Global Stroke Center Certification Program, which aims to elevate stroke care standards worldwide.

Over 500 delegates joined this impactful event — a true testament to the growing momentum in stroke care across Asia!

Every Minute Counts: Driving Urgent Action on Stroke at UNGA80

On the margins of the 80th United Nations General Assembly, the Global Stroke Action Coalition and Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU) co-hosted the a high-level, stroke-focused policy event. This policy roundtable represented the first time stroke policy has been elevated for discussion at the highest level of international policy decision-making.

More than 50 participants joined 'Every Minute Counts: Accelerating the Global NCD Response through Urgent Action on Stroke', including Ministers of Health and senior Health Ministry representatives from DO Dominican Republic, Argentina, Somalia, Egypt Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and Fiji.

Policy-makers were joined by leaders from stroke NGOs, financing institutions and industry who shared key challenges and success stories. This unprecedented engagement in stroke-focused policy discussion, demonstrates the high priority now being given to stroke within the global policy environment, and the strong commitment to continuing collaboration to drive global attention and urgent action.

Key policy recommendations

1️⃣ Make stroke a priority in NCD strategies – Recognize stroke as preventable, treatable, and central to achieving the SDGs and universal health coverage.

2️⃣ Develop National Stroke Action Plans – With targets across prevention, treatment, and post-stroke care, aligned to national needs.

3️⃣ Commit to funding stroke action NOW – Stroke interventions are proven “best buys” with a 1:10 return on investment for prevention.

4️⃣ Implement robust stroke monitoring systems – Build registries and surveillance to ensure accountability and progress tracking.

5️⃣ Include stroke survivors and caregivers in policy – Embed their voices and lived experiences into decision-making at every level.

UNGA HLM on NCD declaration

I was able to attend the UNGA high level meeting on the NCD declaration along with Ms Maria Grupper, Executive Director, WSO. Ms Grupper was able to make a statement at the meeting.

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