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WSO - Lancet Neurology Commission on Global Stroke
Pragmatic solutions to reduce the global burden of stroke
The burden of mortality and disability caused by stroke is rapidly increasing worldwide, particularly in countries where the resources to tackle this burden are scarce. However, the implementation of evidence-based interventions could reverse these epidemiological trajectories. A large proportion of strokes can be prevented and, for most patients who present to a stroke unit during the first few hours after the onset of symptoms, treatment can improve survival and functional outcomes. Furthermore, rehabilitation interventions can reduce disability in stroke survivors, improving quality of life for patients and carers.
In this Lancet Neurology Commission, the World Stroke Organisation (WSO) draws up its roadmap to tackle the burden of stroke by 2030 and beyond, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goal on health and wellbeing. If implemented by policymakers, in collaboration with stakeholders in every country, the WSO recommendations could lead to substantial improvements in prevention of stroke, acute treatment, and rehabilitation worldwide. The Commission also provides guidance on the epidemiological surveillance necessary to monitor progress.
Key recommendations
The Commission authors make 12 evidence-based recommendations across stroke surveillance, prevention, acute care, and rehabilitation. Key recommendations include:
- Establishing low-cost surveillance systems to provide accurate epidemiological stroke data to guide prevention and treatment.
- Raising public awareness and action to improve healthy lifestyles and prevent stroke through population-wide use of mobile and digital technologies, such as training and awareness-raising videos and apps.
- Prioritising effective planning of acute stroke care services, capacity building, training, provision of appropriate equipment, treatment and affordable medicines, and adequate resource allocation at national and regional levels.
- Adapting evidence-based recommendations to regional contexts, including training, support and supervision of community health workers to assist in long-term stroke care.
- Establishing local, national and regional ecosystems involving all relevant stakeholders to co-create, co-implement and monitor stroke surveillance, prevention, acute care and rehabilitation.
Our partners and sponsors
Achieving our vision of a life free from stroke is a task that WSO cannot achieve alone. We are committed to building our partnerships at the global, regional and national level to scale up and deliver improvements in prevention, treatment and support to reduce the burden of stroke.
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