Volunteering in the community to address the growing burden of stroke in Ghana

24 Aug 2023 Stroke awareness Stroke prevention

Spot Stroke Fast Foundation was founded in 2018 with the mission to provide awareness education and screening for stroke and its risk factors, and to provide support for stroke survivors.

Spot Stroke Fast Foundation's vision is that people of all ages in Ghana are well educated on the prevention, control and management of stroke and that people affected by stroke have the support that they need.

The establishment of the Spot Stroke Fast Foundation was an initiative of a group of nurses and other health care staff from the stoke unit at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, Ashanti Region, Ghana. The staff became increasingly aware of the need to raise awareness of stroke and risk factors in the community, with so many patients and family members arriving at hospital with no understanding of their stroke or their risk factors.

The urgent need to address stroke is highlighted by Marilyn Mawusi Azumah, co-founder and Secretary of Spot Stroke Fast Foundation, ‘’stroke is the highest cause of death in our department, the cases are on the rise and it is a leading cause of disability.''

The nurses and other health care staff volunteer their time and contribute their own resources to raise awareness in the community, identify those with risk factors and help them to access the care that they need.

‘’Stroke among the youth got me really worried. Seeing people come to the stroke unit with a largely preventable condition made me realise I had the knowledge to help people to live a healthier life’’, explains Patrick Mansoah Kamilo, co-founder and President of Spot Stroke Fast Foundation. ''We aim to increase the number of people who are aware of stroke, which is impacting individuals, families, hospitals and communities. We want a world where we have prevented avoidable strokes.''

Since it was established, the foundation has become a leading stroke support organization in Ghana in the field of educating individuals and communities about the causes and prevention of stroke. The foundation aims to empower people with the knowledge and tools they need to reduce their risk of stroke and improve their overall health. Spot Stroke Fast Foundation provides education in the community on the warning signs of stroke, risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol, and strategies for stroke prevention, including healthy eating and physical activity. The foundation works with healthcare providers and other organizations to deliver free health education and health screening events and organizes workshops for health personnel on stroke and its management.

The work of the foundation is having real impact and helping to address some of the challenges in managing risk factors. At a recent screening event one female participant was in hypertensive crisis. She knew she was hypertensive but had stopped taking medication for over a year as her health insurance had expired. The foundation took timely action and renewed her insurance, referred her to a nearby health facility for further management and offered guidance to her and her family.

As well as focusing on the awareness and empowerment of communities, the Spot Stroke Fast Foundation volunteers are keen to develop their skills and expertise in running a stroke support organization. Sarah Abena Darko, head of the foundation’s training committee says ‘’we are delivering and accessing training for our volunteers that is not only focused on topics specific to stroke, such as blood pressure monitoring, but also how we can best communicate with communities, our leadership skills and data collection.''

The commitment of the volunteer team at Spot Stroke Fast Foundation is evident. ‘’My first experience as a trainee nurse was on the stroke unit. I saw the urgent need and became passionate about helping to raise awareness about stroke’’ explains Godwin Adu, the foundation’s web developer. Even as nurses move from the stroke unit to other teams in the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, they remain volunteers with the foundation and new members are joining all the time. The work, skills, commitment and volunteerism of organizations such as Spot Stroke Fast Foundation is essential, particularly in contexts where there is limited awareness of stroke in the community, socio-economic barriers to risk fact management and a paucity of stroke support services in the community.

For more information about Spot Stroke Fast Foundation visit:

https://www.facebook.com/Spotstrokefast/

https://www.spotstrokefastgh.com/

https://www.instagram.com/spotstrokefast/

Twitter/X @spot_stroke