Royal Philips, World Stroke Organization call for a global revolution in stroke care

NETHERLANDS—Royal Philips, a global leader in health technology, and the World Stroke Organization (WSO), the world’s only non-governmental organization solely focused on stroke, have jointly published a policy paper urging a revolution in stroke care.

This paper aims to significantly improve the lives of millions of stroke patients worldwide and bring substantial economic benefits by easing the burden on healthcare systems.

Stroke, often caused by a blockage in a blood vessel in the brain, is a leading cause of disability and death globally, affecting around 12 million people each year.

Alarmingly, the number of younger people impacted by stroke is on the rise. Strokes result in the permanent loss of brain cells, leading to long-term disability and, in many cases, death.

The joint policy paper from Philips and WSO, supported by an editorial in The Lancet Neurology and aligned with the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, outlines six key interventions to improve stroke outcomes and reduce healthcare costs.

The policy calls for setting specific targets and quality indicators to assess gaps in current stroke care.

It emphasises the importance of prioritizing stroke care in global, national, and regional health plans.

In addition, it proposes expanding and investing in infrastructure, including stroke units and essential stroke services like intravenous thrombolysis.

To complement these efforts, the policy advocates for building advanced stroke care capabilities, particularly in capital-intensive services such as mechanical thrombectomy—a minimally invasive procedure that removes blood clots from brain arteries to restore blood flow.

Furthermore, the policy highlights the need to enhance the skills of healthcare professionals involved in stroke care and ensure that payment models provide adequate reimbursement for both essential and advanced stroke treatments.

It also encourages policymakers to develop strategies for realizing potential savings from improvements in stroke care, which could then be redirected toward other pressing healthcare needs.

Investing in stroke centers and WHO-recommended treatments, such as mechanical thrombectomy, can improve hundreds of thousands of lives.

Philips and the WSO stress that this investment is a medical necessity and a strategic financial decision.

The estimated direct and indirect costs of stroke care currently amount to around US$900 billion annually, and this figure is expected to double over the next 25 years.

Commenting on the policy, Professor Sheila Martins, President of the World Stroke Organization, stated that the effectiveness of treatments such as thrombolysis and thrombectomy has been well-established for over a decade.

She also pointed out that recent research has shown these treatments to be cost-effective across low-, middle-, and high-income countries.

Martins emphasized that investing in acute stroke care provides governments with a unique opportunity to reduce the burden of stroke on individuals and society, while also fulfilling their United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 (UN SDG3) commitments to ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all.

Adding to the discussion, Carla Goulart Peron, Philips’ Chief Medical Officer, pointed out that stroke is a leading cause of death and disability globally.

She emphasized that the burden on patients, families, healthcare systems, and societies is immense, but there is now an opportunity to take a coordinated approach to revolutionise stroke care.

Peron highlighted the need for investment in care, treatment, infrastructure, awareness, and effective policymaking to make a real difference.

She noted that the benefits would strengthen healthcare systems and improve care for millions of stroke patients worldwide.

In October 2023, Philips and the WSO launched a two-year partnership focused on advocacy, education, and raising global awareness of stroke as a major healthcare challenge.

In May of this year, Philips supported a WSO side event at the 77th World Health Assembly (WHA) titled “United in Action to Transform Stroke Care,” the first WHA session dedicated solely to stroke.

Philips and the WSO’s joint efforts aim to catalyze change in global stroke care, bringing together key stakeholders to make stroke prevention and treatment a top priority.

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