Words from the President, September 2024

03 Oct 2024

September was special due a significant step forward for stroke care during the United Nations General Assembly (#UNGA79) in New York. A pivotal policy roundtable, hosted by the Business Council for International Understanding (#BCIU), Philips and Medtronic, with the support of the World Stroke Organization, focused on expanding access to high-quality acute stroke care as a critical component of the global health agenda. The meeting started with insightful presentations highlighting the significance of technology in acute stroke care, delivered by Atul Gupta, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Image Guided Therapy and Precision Diagnosis at Philips, and Signe Haughton, Chief of Staff and Senior Director of Medical & Government Affairs for Neurovascular at Medtronic.

It was a great honor to speak about World Stroke Organization ‘s actions around the world to accelerate the implementation of stroke care. Additionally, I had the privilege of moderating the amazing discussion with the Ministers of Health from Netherlands, Panama, Dominican Republic, Saudi Arabia, Ghana and Fiji, as well as representatives from the Ministries of Egypt and Timor-Leste, along with esteemed delegates from World Health Organization, Pan American Health Organization, United Nations, and other stakeholders and Societies. Next steps include the signing of WSO’s Global Declaration on Stroke, the launch of a Stroke Implementation Monitoring Tool, and one-on-one discussions with each country to facilitate the implementation of their National Stroke Plans. This is the way to transform knowledge into public policies and definitely include stroke in the global health agenda, ensuring access to the best treatment for everyone!

Important events also took place in Australia during the month of September:

*I and the Elect president Jeyaraj Pandian had the opportunity to participate in the Asian Pacific Stroke Conference in Adelaide, Australia. With an excellent program, it was also an opportunity to meet our WSO Board Members and our Future Leaders, who are always inspiring. During a ceremony at the Gala Dinner, we were excited to present the Angels Award to several hospitals in the region.

*The Co-branded Stroke Center Certification between the Australian Stroke Coalition, co-chaired by Stroke Foundation and the Australia and New Zealand Stroke Organization, and WSO has been formally initiated, with visits to the Royal Adelaide Hospital in Adelaide (Advanced) and the Royal Melbourne Hospital (Advanced) and Box Hill (Essential) in Melbourne. With the structure and quality of Australian hospitals, which are already well-known, the Australian Certification process is very rigorous and comprehensive, the hospitals are well-structured, and WSO is proud to make this partnership. Congratulations to Timothy Kleinig, President of the Stroke Society of Australasia, for your leadership in this Certification Program, Leah Pett, for your efficiency in your administrative role and the hospitals leaders (Tim Kleinig, Bruce Campbell, Phillip Choi and Tanya Frost) for the quality of the stroke services and very good preparation for the visits. It was also a great joy to meet two of our dear former WSO Presidents, Geoffrey Donnan and Stephen Davis, during the visit to the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Thank you all for the warm welcome, and congratulations on your exceptional competence and the high quality of everything you do.

Finally, three important WSO meetings are scheduled to take place in October and November:

*Our Regional Implementation Meetings (WSO’s Global Stroke Alliance) occurring in Istanbul, Turkey (October 17-19) for 15 countries already confirmed (Turkey, Egypt, Iran, Pakistan, Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Oman, Saudi Arabia) and 10 representatives of the Ministries of Health. GSA in Bogotá, Colombia (November 20-22), the GSA will join 16 countries (Colombia, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Panamá, El Salvador, Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Chile, México, Paraguay, Perú, Uruguay) with 4 Ministers already confirmed.

*World Stroke Congress 2024 in Abu Dhabi, from October 22 to 26. The entire WSO team, along with 220 international speakers, eagerly anticipates your presence at this exceptional Meeting that will combine science, implementation, education, and networking. We look forward to seeing you there!