The World Health Assembly passed the first-ever global resolution on stroke on May 22, recognising stroke as a major public health priority. The resolution urges countries to strengthen policies related to stroke prevention, risk-factor control, emergency treatment, rehabilitation, and long-term care support.
Proposed By: The resolution was proposed by Egypt and co-sponsored by Chile, Georgia, Palestine, Paraguay, and Tunisia, reflecting broad international support across WHO regions.
About Stroke: According to the World Health Organization, a stroke is a medical emergency that occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted because of either a blockage or bleeding. This interruption deprives brain cells of oxygen, leading to brain damage, disability, or death if treatment is delayed.
Globally, strokes affect nearly 12 million people every year, causing more than half of the patients to die, while many survivors suffer long-term disabilities. Over the last two decades, the lifetime risk of stroke has increased by nearly 50%, and currently one in four adults is expected to experience a stroke during their lifetime.
In 2021, stroke became the third leading cause of death and disability worldwide, accounting for nearly 93.8 million cases, including 11.9 million new cases globally.
Strategy: The resolution calls for stronger national and global action to reduce the burden of stroke through prevention strategies, better acute care systems, expanded rehabilitation services, and improved healthcare preparedness. It also strengthens monitoring and accountability through the WHO Global NCD Action Plan 2023–2030 and the Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and Other Neurological Disorders 2022–2031.
Source: WHO
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