By Chuks Eke
Medical experts drawn from across the globe assembled by the World Stroke Organization, WSO, in collaboration with Africa Stroke Organization and Stroke Action Nigeria have concluded their four-day training session aimed at brainstorming on the rising burden of stroke in Nigeria and is control.
The training programme was organized by the WSO, in collaboration with Stroke Action Nigeria and the Federal Medical Center, FMC, Onitsha, FMC, Asaba and Asaba Specialist Hospital.
Among the experts that participated in the training exercise that featured both visual, online and physical presence in various training centers such as FMC, Onitsha, FMC Asaba Specialist Hospital,
were the President of WSO, Prof. Jeyaranj Pandian and Sheila Martins, immediate past President of the world body.
Others were PN Sylaja, Professor of Neurology, India; Dr. Rita Melifonwu, WSO Board Member; Dr. Ivy Sebastian, WSO Board Member; Prof. Jackie Bosch, McMaster University, Canada and Dr. Ogugua Osi-Ogbu of the National Hospital, Abuja.
Others included Prof. Rufus Akinyemi of the University of Ibadan and member of Africa Stroke Organization; Prof. Kola Wahab of the University of Ilorin; Dr. Bukola Olaleye of the University of Ibadan; Dr. Anne Kumerenzi of the University of Rwanda; Prof Ikenna Onwuekwe of the UNTH, Enugu; Dr. Lyn Turkstra of the McMaster University, Canada and Peter Langhorne of the University of Glasgow, Scotland.
Prof. Dorcas Ghandi of the Christian Medical College, India; Prof. RenYu of the Penn University; Prof. Mayowa Owolabi of the Africa Stroke Organization; Dr. Ojimba of the FMC, Asaba; Sarah Belson of the WSO; Peace Chukwuma of the Strole Action Nigeria, among others also spoke on various topical issues concerning the rising burden of stroke and its control.
While Prof. Jeyaranj Pandian, WSO President who declared the conference open with his speech centered on Epidemiology, Pathophysiology of Stroke: Definition, Incidence, Classification and subtypes, causes, effects and consequences, Sheila Martins immediate past President of WSO spoke on Organization of Stroke Services – Acute Stroke Care.
Speaking to newsmen at NMA Hall, FMC, Onitsha, one of the training centers, a WSO board member and Chief Executive of Stroke Action Nigeria, Dr. Rita Melifonwu, said the training was necessary to enable healthcare givers in Anambra State know how, where and when to detect stroke symptoms in a patient.
According to her, the World Stroke Organisation WSO, was established as part of health information hub to educate and create a continuous awareness campaign on the dangers of stroke as a deadly disease.
“WSO’s mission is to deliver lives free from stroke by informing and educating the public about the disease, how to spot it, how to prevent it, and how to live the best possible life after stroke”, Melifonwu explained.
“Today stroke is the leading cause of deaths and disabilities worldwide, but evidence suggests that almost all strokes could be prevented with action on a few key risk factors’.
“Despite the evidence and potential for stroke prevention over the past decade, she continued, the lifetime risk of stroke in adults over 25 has increased from 1 in 6 to 1 in 4.
“The ongoing training of healthcare workers/awareness campaign focused on bringing global attention to this new statistic as evidence of the urgent need for action at the individual and policy levels in relation to stroke prevention”.
The public communication element of the campaign highlighted that one in four of us is at risk of stroke calling on everyone to take simple steps to prevent the deadly disease.
The goal of the four-days programme is to increase the WSO reach and to prove that the world can come together to show the difference it can make when we face stroke as one”.
“World Stroke Organisation WSO, is currently seeking to partner with the Nigeria Government to establish what we named, “Life After Stroke Centre across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, this, Melifonwu, noted, will help assist the less privileged Nigerians suffering from the disease with poor financial capacity”.
She urged every Nigeran to try as much as possible to have a basic health care insurance policy so as to help argument their medical bills whenever the need arises.
In her brief speech, the consultant of the Programme, Dr. Chiamaka Okereke, also noted that the major aim of the four-day event was to brainstorm and profer a solution to the rising cases of stroke burden in Nigeria, adding that the was jointly organized and sponsored by
Stroke Action Nigeria, FMC Onitsha, FMC Asaba and
Asaba Specialist Hospital.
