World Stroke Campaign Awards are given to organizations and individuals who have delivered exceptional campaigns, aligned to the World Stroke Day campaign theme. This year 17 submissions were received, and while all showed incredible evidence of the commitment, energy and capacity to overcome challenges within our community, two nominations were identified as stand-out winners.
Monkole Central Hospital, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo & Policlinico Umberto I di Roma
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo has a population of over 18 million inhabitants with no structured healthcare for stroke patients. There is a lack of awareness and knowledge of stroke, not just in the general population but in the medical community too. With a broader objective of developing foundations for structured stroke prevention and management in Kinshasa, Italian Stroke Association Africa members and Monkole Hospital, decided to initiate a stroke prevention program in Mont Ngafula, one of the poorest neighbourhoods in the city. On World Stroke Day 2023 they offered community-based, free screening for vascular risk factors to people as they left Mass. Risk factors were identified using BMI calculations, glucose tests, blood pressure, and gathering information on age, gender, smoking habits; history of diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia; previous stroke, TIA, and/or myocardial infarction. Every subject with an elevated risk profile was invited to attend hospital for follow up. During this visit, medics conducted a more precise collection of medical history and ongoing treatments and conducted electrocardiography and carotid ultrasound examinations.
This was the first event dedicated to stroke prevention in Kinshasa, but all individuals considered at risk will receive follow-up over time, via telephone and hospital visits with the intention to repeat screening days in parishes, schools and markets) and to gradually increase the number of residents who get support to prevent stroke.
Community risk factor screening event, Kinshasa, DRC
Evase Nsengimana , Stroke Action Rwanda
Evase Nsengimana, Vice President of Stroke Action Rwanda took inspiration from the World Stroke Campaign message "together we can be #GreaterThanStroke’ and used the campaign to drive engagement of the country in stroke awareness activities. Evase Nsengimana had campaign signs made and displayed throughout the country, and supported the translation of public messaging into the local language of Kinyarwanda, as a means to encourage the community to take action on stroke prevention. A local celebration of the day took place on October 29th at the Hotel Lemigo, Kigali, which was covered by both print and broadcast media in the country.
A booklet explaining the stroke in the local language was published on World Stroke Day. Three poems conveying messages relating to stroke education in languages used in Rwanda were written and recited at the public event. RBC, the Rwandan state health institution, was actively involved in the campaign, and materials for the day were provided by the private sector federation in Rwanda. The synergy between RBC, the private sector, stroke action Rwanda's partner organizations and Stroke Action Rwanda, led and facilitated by Mr Nsengimana Evase has provided a strong model for future and one that could be adapted by other stroke organizations in the region.
Evase Nsengimana VP Stroke Action Rwanda, front row 2nd from right
World Stroke Campaign Award winners receive a year of free membership of WSO and a free registration for the World Stroke Congress in Abu Dhabi. To find out more about the awards and previous winners, visit www.worldstrokecampaign.org
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