2009 Awards

Gold winner:
National Stroke Association of Sri Lanka (NSAS), Sri Lanka

Silver winner:
Brazilian Academy of Neurology in collaboration with the Brazilian Society of Cerebrovascular Diseases and the Brazilian Stroke Network, Brazil

Bronze winner:
A.l.I.Ce. Italia Onlus , Rome, Italy

Honorable mentions:
Lalitha Super Specialities Hospital Pvt Ltd , Guntur, India
Kokilaben Dhirubai Ambani Hospital& Medical Research Institute with Stroke Support Group, Mumbai, India

The National Stroke Association of Sri Lanka (NSAS), Sri Lanka

The National Stroke Association of Sri Lanka (NSAS) organized a series of activities to disseminate knowledge on symptoms, risk factors and prevention, and management strategies of stroke among Sri Lankan population during the last 10 days of October 2009. All activities were carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ministry of Social Services and Social Welfare (MOSS). The main sponsor for most of the activities was the Country Office of the World Health Organization.

The following activities were organized:

There was a media conference organized on 21.10.2009. There were more than 100 media personal representing printed and electronic media institutions. There were four talks on “What is stroke”, “How do we prevent stroke”, “Social services for stroke victims” and a “National Strategy for stroke care in Sri Lanka”. At the end of the conference there was a media discussion and the doubts of media personnel were clarified. As a result there were articles published in almost all news papers, information and voice cuts on stroke were broadcasted in several radio channels and news items on stroke were telecasted in several TV channels.
The president of the association, Dr. Gunaratne, took part in three radio programs and one TV discussion on stroke. The Secretary of the association took part in two TV discussions in popular TV channels on stroke.

Click here to view the article on stroke written by Quintus Perera and published in the Asian Tribune

A 20 mins video documentary depicting symptoms and risk factors of stroke was developed and telecasted at 3.30pm on 29.10.2009 in the most popular Independent Television Network. This television channel covers the whole Island. It was telecasted again at 6.30 pm on 03.11.2009 in the same channel. The copies of the documentary will be handed over to WHO office and the Health education bureau for future health education purposes.
The National Stroke Association developed four hoardings of the size of 4” x 12” giving the information that “Stroke is a catastrophe, It is preventable and treatable” in mostly used three languages. It carried information on prevention. These hoardings were erected in four crowded areas within city limits and will be displayed till the end of December.

Click here to view the hoarding.

A ceremony was organized to mark the World Stroke Day on 29th October 2009. The Minister of Health Hon. Nimal Siripala De Silva had accepted to be the chief guest of the occasion but he could not be present owing to an unavoidable circumstance. Instead, Mrs. V Jegarajasingham and Dr. Athula Kahandaliyanage, secretaries of the MOH and MOSS took part as the chief guest and the guest of honour. WHO country representative took part as a special guest of the occasion. There was wide media coverage for the event. As a result the highlights of the World Stroke Day were carried as news items in all the TV and Radio channels.
Social benefits available for stroke patients are not widely known among the medical profession in Sri Lanka. As an activity to publicize these benefits, ten stroke patients were ceremonially awarded with social benefits. These included housing grant of Rs. 100,000, reemployment benefit of Rs. 15,000/= for 5 patients,
There are no social workers and counsellors employed in the Ministry of Health care and Nutrition to be included in the stroke team for stroke management in Sri Lanka. There are social workers and counsellors employed in Ministry of Social Services and Social Welfare. The NSAS could conduit MOH and MOSS and as a result three counsellors and three social workers were appointed to three main hospitals for stroke care to mark the World Stroke Day.
Since social workers are not involved in stroke management at present, the benefits that are provided by MOSS for disabled persons are not properly known among the medical profession. Therefore disabled stroke patients are not regularly referred to Divisional Secretariat of the patient’s home town, for them to enjoy those social benefits. The NSAS initiated a project with the MOH and MOSS and printed a booklet named “Social services for stroke victims” giving information of all provisions of social benefits available for disabled people. (Attachment 3). This booklet was distributed among all specialists who participated at the celebration to mark the World Stroke Day. This was also circulated among all physicians and neurologists who give care to stroke patients in the Island.
The NSAS developed A National Stroke Strategy for Sri Lanka.
This document recommended 10 important steps to promote stroke care in the country.
They included the following:
1. Promote awareness of symptoms and risk factors.
2. Promote steps and actions to prevent risk factors of stroke
3. Use of ABCD score and quick action on TIAs
4. Installation of more CT scan machines in the Island
5. Establishment of stroke units
6. Establishment of dedicated rehabilitation hospitals
7. Appointing social workers and counsellors to stroke team
8. Strengthening of community based rehabilitation
9. Pharmacological revascularization with IV rtPA
10. Research in stroke

This document was presented to Dr. Athula Kahandaliyanage, Secretary to Ministry of Health at the ceremony to mark the World Stroke Day for implementation. Another special feature of this activity was that the document was presented to the secretary by a rehabilitated female stroke patient.
The staff of the stroke unit of the National Hospital of Sri Lanka performed a stage play depicting the symptoms, risk factors, management and prevention of stroke at the ceremony to mark the World stroke Day

Brazilian Academy of Neurology inc collaboration with Brazilian Society of Cerebrovascular
Diseases and Brazilian Stroke Network

The World Stroke Day in Brazil was organized by the Brazilian Academy of Neurology and Brazilian Society of Cerebrovascular Diseases in Partnership with Iberoamerican Society of Cerebrovascular Diseases and Brazilian Stroke Network. The objective of the main activities organized across the country was to educate the public on stroke awareness and prevention, and to sensitize the health authorities about the stroke burden in Brazil.
In many cities public campaigns were organized in malls, beaches, parks and hospitals with with posters, videos and distribution of informative leaflets. Blood pressure was also measured for free.
Some activities were lead by health professionals from the hospitals through teleconferences which were retransmitted in live on the web on a national level, which enabled health professionals to interact with the population and the journalists via workshops

To clarify the theme of the World Stroke Day 2009 a conference was held in the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre transmitted on the web about “What can we do, what are we doing and what will we do in Brazil against Stroke”. The target audience was health professionals and journalists.
Before the World Stroke Day the activities were promoted on the website of the Brazilian Stroke Network, on the radio, newspapers and in press releases.
For 3 weeks, stroke was the subject of local and national media coverage in television, newspaper, radio and online journals, helping us to raise awareness of stroke among different groups of people: public, politicians, policy makers and health professionals.

Two Stroke books were released: one for health professionals and the other for the population.
The Medical Societies are collecting signatures in a document that establishes the technical priorities for stroke care and crucial infrastructure to be implemented in the country in order to reduce the economic and social impact of stroke in Brazil.
A total 1201 signatures were collected in 3 weeks. This document will be sent to the Ministry of Health.

Click here to read the document in Portuguese
Click here to watch the video of the World Stroke Day 2009 in Brazil

A.L.I.Ce Italia Onlus, Rome , Italy

To celebrate the World Stroke Day 2009 A.L.I.Ce Italia Onlus ran a national stroke awareness campaign in the local and national media (TV, radio, newspaper, magazines).
Following the campaign prior to the event, local associations ran activities promoting prevention and available stroke treatments, aiming at raising stroke awareness amongst the population.
Click here for the report of the local activities.

A.L.I.Ce Italia Onlus also produced a video, which was broadcasted on national and local tv channels and on a specialized star channel (a tv closed circuit running in about 700 pharmacies nationwide); in collaboration with RAI personnel on stroke warning signs and what actions should be undertaken in case of stroke, with the support of Vauro, a well known Italian designer who created the images of the video.
The video was also posted on the very popular YouTube website.
Click here to watch the video or visit the A.L.I.Ce Italia Onlus website.

Also, on October 29, the local associations of the A.L.I.Ce group started a nationwide investigation on the economic and social costs of stroke families and care-givers. The investigation is conducted in collaboration with CENSIS - http://www.censis.it/ - and the Study University of Florence.

Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital & Medical Research Institute in collaboration with the local Stroke Support group, Mumbai, India

A four pronged strategy was made to spread the awareness on stroke on the occasion of World Stroke Day 2009. It consisted of separate programs for the general population including stroke survivors and caregivers; media and press; general medical practitioners; and neurologists.

I. The first program was organized on the 11th October 2009 at a hotel in Mumbai, under the aegis of Indian Stroke Association (ISA), named “Stroke Update 2009” , for Neurologists practising in the city of Mumbai. The program was chaired by the President of the ISA and Vice President also graced the occasion by giving excellent talks on stroke management. Fifty practising Neurologists and about ten resident trainees in Neurology attended the program. The speakers were Stroke Neurologists, Interventional Neuroradiologists and Neurorehabilitation experts. The topics varied from acute stroke interventions to rehabilitation covering the whole spectrum of stroke care.

II. The second program, a “Press Conference” was organized on the 23rd of October 2009, at Kokilaben Dhirubhi Ambani Hospital and Medical Research Institute in association with Stroke Support Group to disseminate awareness about early recognition of stroke, newer concepts in acute stroke treatments and stroke rehabilitation. The awareness of stroke was highlighted by a stroke survivor who had suffered a stroke 8 years ago and with residual hemiparesis and made multiple paintings depicting his life after stroke . Representatives of majority of the national and local news papers and media channels attended the press briefing. The program had a huge impact and most of the newspapers and television channels reported the event in their columns and programs.

III. The third program on the 25th October 2009 entitled “Stroke Survivor and Caregiver Awareness Programme” was conducted at Kokilaben Dhirubhi Ambani Hospital and Medical Research Institute in association with Rotary club of Bombay (Worli) Stroke Support Group. The day was chosen as the 25th October was a Sunday and it was convenient for the patients and caregivers to attend the program on a holiday. The event was attended by about 450 stroke survivors and caregivers.
The programme consisted of:

Talks on early recognition of stroke, management within the acute window period, stroke prevention and long term rehabilitation. This was followed by a panel discussion where pertinent queries and doubts were answered by the experts.
The awareness of stroke was highlighted by an exhibition of 22 paintings made by a stroke survivor who had suffered a stroke 8 years ago and with residual hemiparesis made multiple paintings depicting his life after stroke. The theme of the programme and painting exhibition was “IN STROKE THERE IS HOPE BUT AWARENESS IS THE KEY”.
“Comprehensive Stroke Care Plan” was unveiled by the hospital and ‘Stroke Awareness and ‘Comprehensive Stroke Care Plan’ broachers were distributed.

IV. The fourth program, “Stroke CME 2009” was organized on the 1st November 2009 for ‘General Medical Practioners and Internists’. It was attended by four hundred and fifty physicians practising in the city of Mumbai. The program consisted of multiple lectures on every aspect of stroke management from Emergency care to rehabilitations. The speakers were Emergency Physicians, Intensivists, Stroke neurologists, Neuroradiologists, Vascular and Neurosurgeons and Neurorehabilitation experts. This was followed by a panel discussion answering queries.

Click here to view the pictures of the held events
Click here to read the report of the organized activities

Lalitha Super Spceiliaties Hospital Pvt Ltd, Guntur, India

From the 23rd to the 28th of October 2009, a Stroke Awarenss week was organized by the Ankineedu Stroke Unit. The week consisted of:

A Stroke helpline % Stroke helpdesk was put in place with the support of a multidisciplinary team
Pamphlets on the various aspects of stroke were distributed to the general public
Free blood pressure check-ups
Stroke risk score assessments were done by stroke volunteers, who also provided advice on primary and secondary stroke prevention
Interviews
Press releases
An audiovisual live programme on stroke symptoms and prevention was broadcasted continuously for 5 days on a local TV network
Information about the FAST test, early recognition of stroke and stroke thrombolytic therapy was given to the media

Click here to view the pamphlet
Click here to view the poster
Click here to view the RISK SCORE CARD
Click here to view the Thrombolysis poster
Click here to view the article on stroke published in The Hundu newspaper