Sheila Martins

President 2022 — 2024

Sheila Martins

Sheila Martins was elected President Elect of the World Stroke Organisation (WSO) in 2020 and took office in 2022.

Sheila Martins is member of the WSO Board since 2008. She is neurologist, PhD in Stroke Neurology, Professor of Universidade Federal of Rio Grande do Sul / Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre and Chief of Neurology and Neurosurgery of Hospital Moinhos de Vento. She is founder and President of the Brazilian Stroke Network. As advisor of the Ministry of Health (MoH) of Brazil she started the organization and implementation of the National Stroke Policy. She works with research to modify public policies and led the Brazilian Clinical Trial sponsored by the MoH (RESILIENT Trial) that was the responsible for incorporating the thrombectomy treatment in the public health system in Brazil. Since 2021 has worked in Porto Alegre, south of Brazil, for implementation of the World Health Organization/ Pan American Organization Program – the HEARTS initiative, reorganizing the primary care units for detection and effective treatment of risk factors for stroke prevention. Also, started a WSO clinical trial with a polypill with anti-hypertensive and statin in middle risk patients associated with lifestyle modification – the PROMOTE trial.

She has large experience as clinician in public health, and also as health manager working globally with different levels of governments (Ministries of Health, Health secretaries of States and Cities), helping to implement strategies to improve stroke care.

Since 2015 she is working with other Latin American countries and in 2021 launched the WSO/SIECV Certification of Stroke Centers in Latin American and Caribbean countries (13 countries participating) to ensure the implementation of all evidence-based strategies in 2 levels of stroke services, qualifying stroke care and stimulating the monitoring and organization of the network in the region. Until now, 37 hospitals were certified in 8 countries. In November 2022 the Certification program was launched in India in a partnership with the NABH (National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers) and the first hospital already received the onsite visit. She assumed the WSO presidency in October, 28th 2022.

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