SSO Committee March 2019

01 Mar 2019 News from WSO Committees

Following the decision to have two Co-Chairs for each WSO committee, Patrice Lindsay of Heart and Stroke Canada and Sharon McGowan of National Stroke Foundation Australia have been confirmed as the SSO Committee Co-Chairs. They will continue to work closely with Sarah Belson, the International Development Manager, to establish, support and strengthen a global network of SSOs, particularly in low and middle income countries.

SSO development priorities 2019

In 2019 our priorities are to:

Increase and engage SSO membership
Mobilise SSO engagement in the World Stroke Campaign
Facilitate access to capacity building and stroke educationresources
Secure funding to enhance the offer to SSO members

We are hoping to update the SSO Toolkit and develop the SSO section of the WSO website. We will facilitate greater engagement with our existing advocacy resources. We will continue to share the voices of people affected by stroke across our communications and in the World Stroke Campaign.

WSO SSO members

We ended 2018 with 52 SSO members of WSO; a 44% increase from 2017, with 17 brand new SSOs and 35 renewals. The countries with the highest number of SSO are: India – 4; Nigeria – 6; South Africa – 4; and USA – 6.

To date in 2019, we have four SSOs that are new to WSO: Bulgaria Heart for Heart Foundation; Stroke Foundation of Jamaica; Joel Samson Ruvugo Group Tanzania and Tanzania Heart Club.

The excellent work of our SSO network was highlighted in a recent WSO blog about the Stroke Association Support Network Ghana and its collaboration with a family member who approached WSO to find out how they could support stroke awareness.

Ground breaking news from our SSO membership

(Dis)connected: How unseen links are putting us at risk

In this 2019 report from Heart & Stroke Canada, for the first time ever, the connections between key diseases of the vascular system – heart conditions, stroke and vascular cognitive impairment (of which dementia is the most severe form) – have been systematically mapped and trended. The research is ground-breaking, with worldwide implications.

The analysis shows these conditions are much more deeply connected than we knew. People who were previously thought to have one vascular condition are at significantly higher risk of developing (or already have) multiple conditions – many without knowing it until they experience health crises. The most startling finding: If you have a heart condition, you have a significantly increased risk, not just for stroke, but also for cognitive impairment.

The report examines the road blocks and challenges and explains how they have impacted a surprisingly high number of people in Canada over the past decade. It goes on to suggest strategies and actions for patients and families – until the system can be improved – and it urgently calls for systems change.

For further information: