Today, on World Stroke Day (29 October), here is a timely reminder that stroke is the second leading cause of death globally. Despite the revolution offered by mechanical thrombectomy that began over a decade ago and the evidence base from multiple trials showing that thrombectomy increases survival and decreases disability, only 5% of the planet’s population have timely access to this procedure.
The reality is that there is a woeful shortage of stroke networks and a dearth of thrombectomy centres. “It’s not just a phenomenon in low-income countries. We also have a staggering gap in stroke care, even in high-income nations,” says Atul Gupta (Philadelphia, USA), Chief Medical Officer of Diagnosis and Treatment at Philips.
This video was filmed by Philips IGT and produced by the NeuroNews team.
