Jamaica Stroke Alliance launched

23 Dec 2020 Stroke awareness

World Stroke Organization member the Jamaica Stroke Alliance, was officially launched on World Stroke Day 2020. The Alliance aims to raise awareness of stroke and provide support for those affected.

Raising awareness of the causes, prevention of and the treatment of stroke is crucial to the health and well-being of all Jamaicans. That was the main message coming out of the launch of the Jamaica Stroke Alliance hosted virtually on World Stroke Day, October 29, 2020.

In her remarks at the launch, the Honourable Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn, MP and State Minister in the Ministry of Health & Wellness and Guest Speaker, explained that although Jamaica had been deliberately focussing on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) over the past two decades, the country continued to experience an unacceptably high prevalence of cardiovascular diseases including stroke. “Even, as countries around the world zone in on COVID-19, the renewal call to focus on our overall health and the prevalence of non-communicable diseases has become more relevant, as persons who also suffer from comorbidities, have had a higher fatality rate, when compared to others,” she said.

Citing the latest World Health Organization (WHO) data, Minister Cuthbert-Flynn noted that stroke deaths in Jamaica reached 2,479 or 13.62% of total deaths in 2018. This age adjusted death rate is 65.41 per 100,000 of population and ranks Jamaica 100 in the world.

Vision 2030, Jamaica’s National Development Plan, reports that cerebrovascular disease is the leading cause of both morbidity and mortality in Jamaica. As such, many Jamaicans have either experienced a stroke, or have a family member who has been affected by stroke and are involved in their long-term care.

Dr Kimikawa Morgan-Channer, interim Chair of the Jamaica Stroke Alliance, explained that the main focus of the new organization was to collaborate with public and private organizations in order to raise awareness among Jamaicans of how to prevent a stroke as well as advocate for an improvement in the access to quality care and treatment. In his greetings, Dr Fred Kennedy, Chairman of the GraceKennedy Foundation which has been providing administrative support for the Jamaica Stroke Alliance, noted that the Foundation was proud to be associated with the new organization.

At the launch, Founding Member Hilary Wehby shared her experience of having a major stroke in 2017. Jezeel Martin, whose mother suffered a series of life-changing strokes, also shared his experience as being the primary caregiver of a stroke survivor.

For more information on stroke prevention and care, and the Jamaica Stroke Alliance, please visit: https://www.jamaicastrokealliance.org/

Jamaica Observer Editorial

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