Home » Stroke, European Awareness Day: in Italy over 100 thousand cases a year

Stroke, European Awareness Day: in Italy over 100 thousand cases a year

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TODAY, May 11, is the European Stroke Awareness Day, an initiative promoted by the European Stroke Organization (ESO) and the Stroke Alliance for Europe (SAFE). And for the occasion, the Italian Stroke Association (ISA-AII) asks the Minister of Health Roberto Speranza to formally support it by signing the Declaration of Action on Stroke Action Plan for Europe (SAP-E), to demonstrate Italy’s commitment to improve stroke prevention, treatment and care, as other European countries have already done. The Italian Society of Neurology (SIN), the Society of Neurologists, Neuroradiologists and Hospital Neurosurgeons (SNO) and the lay association for the fight against stroke (ALICe) also participate in the promotion of the initiative.

Stroke in Italy and Europe

In Italy alone, over 100 thousand cases of stroke occur every year, for a total of one million patients throughout Europe. Also in the Old Continent it is estimated that 460,000 patients die from stroke every year and that almost 10 million people live with the consequences of stroke. “The number of people living with a stroke will increase by 26% within the next generation,” he explains Danilo toni, President of ISA-AII. Stroke – claims the association – weighs heavily on the budgets of health systems and societies. Stroke-related costs in Europe have recently been estimated at € 60 billion and are expected to rise to € 86 billion, a 44% increase, by 2040. “These are frankly worrying figures – says Toni – and a greater commitment of national and community institutions is needed. This is why we have decided to promote the Declaration of Action against a serious disease in Italy that cannot be underestimated. We want the Minister to sign and thus add our voice to the fight against stroke throughout Europe ”.

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Cos’è lo Stroke Action Plan for Europe

To reduce the impact of stroke and address its long-term consequences, the European Stroke Organization and the Stroke Alliance for Europe published the Stroke Action Plan for Europe three years ago. In consultation with 70 experts who reviewed evidence of best practice and current state of stroke care, the plan sets out goals and recommendations along the entire care pathway that countries and health systems across Europe can implement by 2030. SAP-E focuses on seven areas: primary prevention, organization of stroke care, acute stroke care, secondary prevention, rehabilitation, outcome assessment and life after stroke. The objectives: to reduce the number of strokes in Europe by 10%; treat 90% or more of all stroke patients in Europe in a dedicated stroke unit as the first level of care; have national stroke plans that incorporate the entire chain of care from primary prevention through life after stroke; fully implement national strategies for multi-sectoral public health interventions to promote and facilitate a healthy lifestyle and reduce environmental, socio-economic and educational factors that increase the risk of stroke.

Why it is important to join

The goal of the Stroke Action Plan for Europe is to improve the entire stroke care pathway, from early prevention and treatment, to support and aftercare. But its implementation in Italy – the experts explain – will also help reduce the burden of other non-communicable diseases. For example, implementing appropriate stroke prevention strategies will also reduce the incidence of dementia, heart disease, diabetes and obesity, which will have a significant impact on well-being, life expectancy and costs to the healthcare system. . ESO and SAFE recently launched a plan to implement the Stroke Action Plan for Europe, which extends to all 53 countries in the European region. To ensure its effectiveness, the implementation plan will be tailored to each country and will help establish national stroke plans. In addition, it will provide tools to improve stroke prevention, treatment, support and care, including an online stroke learning center and evidence-based list of essentials for care. Annual national data on the 12 key performance indicators outlined in the Declaration will be collected to enable progress to be tracked both over time and within countries. This will provide each country with the knowledge and data they need to continue improving the implementation of their national plan.

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A question of rights and the fight against inequalities

“Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability in Europe and has an impact on all aspects of life: economic, social, medical, physical and mental,” he adds. Arlene Wilkie, SAFE Director-General: “Immediate attention is needed to ensure that disruptions in stroke treatment due to COVID-19 do not fuel the health service crisis caused by the pandemic.” The impact of stroke can be reduced through appropriate investment and the organization of prevention, treatment, support and care services. To coordinate efforts in this direction across Europe, ESO and SAFE, representing stroke experts and patients from across Europe, launched the Stroke Action Plan for Europe in 2018. “We need a unified approach to stroke treatment and management to address the inequalities in treating this disease in European countries, which have been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic,” he concludes. Martin Dichgans, ESO President: “The Stroke Action Plan for Europe will help us achieve this goal.”

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