World Stroke Day 2021: Minutes can Save Lives!

Overview

World Stroke Day is held on 29th October each year. The annual event was started in 2006 by World Stroke Organization. World Stroke Day is an opportunity to raise awareness of the serious nature and high rates of stroke, talk about prevention and treatment, and ensure better care and support for survivors.

World Stroke Day is an opportunity to raise awareness of the serious nature and high rates of stroke and talk about ways in which we can reduce the burden of stroke through better public awareness of the risk factors and signs of stroke. It is also an opportunity to advocate for action by decision makers at global, regional and national levels that are essential to improve stroke prevention, access to acute treatment and support for survivors and caregivers. 

World Stroke Day 2021: Minutes can Save Lives!

For 2021 and 2022, campaign will be focused on raising awareness of the signs of stroke and the need for timely access to quality stroke treatment. 

Facts and Figures about Stroke

• Stroke is a condition where the blood supply to the brain is disrupted, resulting in oxygen starvation, brain damage and loss of function.
• It is most frequently caused by a clot in an artery supplying blood to the brain, a situation known as ischemia. It can also be caused by hemorrhage when a burst vessel causes blood to leak into the brain.
• Stroke can cause permanent damage, including partial paralysis and impairment in speech, comprehension and memory. The extent and location of the damage determines the severity of the stroke, which can range from minimal to catastrophic.
• Globally 1 in 4 adults over the age of 25 will have a stroke in their lifetime.
• 13.7 million people worldwide will have their first stroke this year and five and a half million will die as a result.
• Current trends suggest that the number of annual deaths will climb to 6.7 million annually without appropriate action.
• Stroke is leading cause of death and disability globally with 116m years of healthy life lost each year to the disease.
• Stroke disproportionately affects individuals living in resource-poor countries. From 2000 to 2008, the overall stroke incidence rates in low- to middle-income countries exceeded that of incidence rates seen in high-income countries by 20%.
• Today, two out of every three people who suffer from a stroke live in low- and middle-income countries.
• The incidence of stroke increases significantly with age. 
• There are many other risk factors, including tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, harmful use of alcohol, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, raised blood lipid levels, obesity, male gender, genetic disposition and psychological factors.

Source of info: World Stroke Organization

Recommended readings

• World Stroke Day 2020! Know your risk and prevent a stroke!
• Stroke is treatable – World Stroke Day 2016
• Scale up prevention of heart attack and stroke- World Heart Day 2017 
• World Heart Day 2021: Use ❤️ To Connect Every ❤️
• International days, weeks and years of Public Health Concern
• World Heart Day: #UseHeart to beat cardiovascular disease