ESOC 2025 | The importance of patient advocacy in stroke care and the work of the Stroke Action Plan for Europe
Hanne Christensen, MD, PhD, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark, emphasizes the need for advocacy to address the significant burden of stroke in Europe, citing inequities in stroke care quality and accessibility. Prof. Christensen addresses the importance of evidence-based stroke care, which has been proven to be cost-effective, and advocates for training national coordinators to effectively communicate with governments and decision-makers, thereby securing relevant attention and funding for stroke care. This interview took place at the 11th European Stroke Organisation Conference (ESOC) in Helsinki, Finland.
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Transcript
I mean we all know that the burden of stroke in Europe is huge. We also know that there’s a significant inequity between countries as to the quality and the accessibility of stroke care. We also know that within many countries there are inequities between population groups but also to a large degree between urban and rural populations. And we also all know that stroke is not a rare thing...
I mean we all know that the burden of stroke in Europe is huge. We also know that there’s a significant inequity between countries as to the quality and the accessibility of stroke care. We also know that within many countries there are inequities between population groups but also to a large degree between urban and rural populations. And we also all know that stroke is not a rare thing. One in four on a global scale will have a stroke during their lifetime if they live until the age of 25. So this is a massive problem and with the aging populations of Europe this will only increase. So therefore there is a need to improve stroke care, to improve the funding of stroke care, to ensure that stroke care in Europe goes for the low-hanging fruit. With that I mean the evidence-based stroke care because this is proven cost-effective and therefore should be a possibility in all European countries. So therefore advocacy training is absolutely needed to tell these simple facts to your governments, to your ministries of health. So during the ESO conference, the ESO is holding a masterclass in advocacy, directly targeting people who are national coordinators of the action plan for stroke in Europe to train them to better approach their politicians, their decision makers, their ministries of health in order to ensure that stroke gets the attention which is relevant as to the burden of the disease.
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