Europe’s stroke care shows real progress, but persistent gaps and inequality demand urgent action
Today, on European Stroke Awareness Day, we are publishing the latest data from the Stroke Action Plan for Europe’s Stroke Service Tracker, the most comprehensive picture yet of stroke care across 49 European countries.
The 2024 data confirm real progress in some areas. 29 countries now have national prevention plans, record numbers of countries are meeting the thrombectomy treatment target, early rehabilitation has seen its biggest single-year improvement and early supported discharge is now available in 11 countries (up from seven in 2023).
But stroke unit access has not improved, development of new national stroke plans has stalled with only 20 across Europe, gaps in secondary prevention and follow-up are leaving survivors at risk of a second stroke, fewer than 40% of countries offer a structured follow-up after stroke and persistent inequities in care across Europe is threatening to leave many Southern and Eastern European countries behind.
Click to read the Press Release.
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Stroke Action Plan for Europe featured in The Lancet Neurology
The Stroke Action Plan for Europe (SAP-E) has been featured in The Lancet Neurology, underscoring the growing international recognition of the SAP-E and the urgency of addressing stroke as a major public health challenge.
The article highlights that stroke is still one of the leading causes of death and long-term disability worldwide. Stroke Services Tracker data from 2023 shows it still has a huge impact on people’s health and quality of life. While the chances of dying from a stroke or living with severe disability after one are improving, the total number of people having strokes is increasing as populations grow and people live longer.
Across Europe, there are still big differences in the care people receive after a stroke. Access to specialist stroke units, emergency treatments and rehabilitation services varies widely between countries. These gaps in care mean that outcomes can differ significantly between countries and regions, including a person’s chances of survival and recovery. The recently updated SAP-E sets out a comprehensive roadmap to address these challenges, with ambitious targets for 2030. These include reducing stroke incidence, ensuring that patients receive care in dedicated stroke units as well as strengthening prevention, treatment and long-term support.
The Lancet Neurology feature highlights both progress and gaps, noting improvements in national stroke planning alongside ongoing challenges in implementation and resourcing. It calls for stronger monitoring, accountability and investment to ensure that evidence-based strategies are translated into practice.
The inclusion of SAP-E in The Lancet Neurology reflects the increasing global attention on stroke research, prevention and care, and reinforces the importance of coordinated action to reduce the burden of stroke across Europe and beyond.
Read the Editorial here.
Congratulations to Ireland on signing the Stroke Action Plan for Europe Declaration!
Comhghairdeas!
Ireland has become the 16th country to endorse the Declaration for Action on Stroke, marking a significant step forward in strengthening stroke research, prevention, care and support in the country.
By signing the Declaration, the Irish government formally recognises stroke as a leading cause of premature death and long-term disability. The commitment aligns Ireland with European and global efforts to reduce the burden of stroke. Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, confirmed the signing and announced plans to develop a new National Stroke Strategy. The strategy will be shaped in consultation with patients, clinicians, researchers and policymakers, and will align closely with SAP-E priorities.
The recently updated SAP-E sets out ambitious targets for 2030, including reducing stroke incidence, improving access to specialist stroke care, and strengthening rehabilitation and long-term support, and research priorities. Clinical and patient advocacy leaders have described the signing as a “major milestone,” highlighting its potential to reduce death and disability while improving quality of life for those affected by stroke.
Read the official publication here.
Find out more about the Declaration on this page.
New European Stroke Action Plan Urges Immediate National Action
The updated Stroke Action Plan for Europe has been published in the European Stroke Journal, urging European governments to act now by implementing and funding comprehensive national stroke strategies in line with its recommendations.
This call for decisive action is reinforced by the recent OECD report ‘The State of Cardiovascular Health in the European Union’, which identifies stroke as the second leading cause of death from cardiovascular disease and a major contributor of acquired long-term disability.
Developed by the European Stroke Organisation and the Stroke Alliance for Europe, the Stroke Action Plan for Europe sets a clear roadmap for reducing the burden of stroke across Europe by 2030. Building on progress made since the first Stroke Action Plan for Europe was launched in 2018, the revised document highlights both achievements and persistent gaps in care – particularly around prevention, emergency response, rehabilitation and life after stroke.
Read the full article here.
Read the Press Release here.
Europe’s new Cardiovascular Health Plan: Stroke must not be left behind
The Stroke Alliance for Europe (SAFE) and the European Stroke Organisation welcome the publication of the European Commission’s EU Cardiovascular Health Plan. For the first time, the EU has recognised the urgent need for coordinated action on cardiovascular health, the leading cause of mortality and disability in Europe.
The Plan includes many positive commitments for stroke, including a strong focus on prevention, national cardiovascular health plans by 2027, rehabilitation, innovation and tackling inequalities. These measures have real potential to improve outcomes for millions of people.
In addition, this week the OECD published its report ‘The State of Cardiovascular Health in the European Union’. It confirmed that stroke remains Europe’s second leading cause of death from cardiovascular disease and a major contributor to acquired long-term disability.
It also highlighted that stroke prevention, acute care, rehabilitation and long-term support remain fragmented and unequally available across the EU.
Our joint response makes clear that for the Plan, framed as the ‘Safe Hearts’ plan, to deliver meaningful impact, stroke must be explicitly integrated across all pillars of action. We highlight key areas where further ambition is needed, including access to specialised stroke units, emergency pathways, structured secondary prevention, rehabilitation, life after stroke and research.
SAFE and ESO will work with EU institutions, Member States and partners to ensure that stroke receives the prioritisation it deserves.
Read our full response here.
EU Parliament Event: Report and highlights from "Closing the gaps in stroke care"
Following our successful European Parliament event, ‘Closing the gaps in stroke care: A call to action for Europe’, we are pleased to share a summary report and video highlights capturing the key discussions and messages from the day.
The event brought together MEPs, policymakers, healthcare professionals, researchers, people with lived experience and advocates to call for stronger EU and national action on stroke prevention, treatment and long-term support.
Watch messages from Members of the European Parliament:
MEP Romana Jerković (S&D, Croatia)
MEP Adam Jarubas (EPP, Poland)
More information about the event:
Read the event summary report
View event video
Together, these materials capture a growing consensus across Europe, that stroke must be recognised as a central priority in the upcoming EU Cardiovascular Health Plan and across all national health strategies.
Bulgaria Establishes a National Stroke Awareness Day
Five years after Dorina Dobreva set out to create Bulgaria’s first national patient organisation for stroke survivors, her vision has become reality.
On November 11, 2025, Bulgaria marked a National Stroke Awareness Day for the first time, established at the initiative of ASA-Bulgaria, a milestone toward a unified national policy for prevention, treatment, and life after stroke. The founder and Chair of the Association for Stroke and Aphasia (ASA-Bulgaria), also National Coordinator for the Stroke Action Plan for Europe, Board member of the Stroke Alliance for Europe (SAFE), and member of the Campaigns Committee of the World Stroke Organization (WSO), now leads the effort that places Bulgaria firmly on Europe’s stroke map.
Each year, over 50,000 Bulgarians suffer a stroke — among the highest rates in Europe. About 10% die during the acute treatment phase, and another 22% within the first year. More than half of survivors live with long-term disability, underscoring the urgent need for coordinated national action. The initiative has received strong international recognition and endorsement from the world’s most influential stroke and aphasia organizations, acknowledging Bulgaria’s leadership in patient advocacy and systemic change.
Read more about it here.
Stroke takes centre stage at a European Parliament event
On Tuesday 14 October 2025, stroke took centre stage at a European Parliament event in Brussels, where policymakers, people with lived experience, healthcare professionals, researchers, stroke support organisations and stroke advocates came together to call for urgent action to address lack of stroke research and persistent inequalities in stroke prevention, treatment and long-term care across Europe.
The recent World Health Organisation ‘Global status report on neurology’ highlights that stroke is the top neurological disorder contributing to health loss globally. Europe faces over 1.1 million strokes each year, causing nearly 460,000 deaths. Nearly 10 million people live with stroke’s long-term effects. The economic burden is immense and is projected to rise to €86 billion by 2040 without urgent reform. Stroke is the second leading cause of death and the leading cause of adult disability in Europe.
The event, “Closing the Gaps in Stroke Care: A Call to Action for Europe”, hosted by MEP Kelleher (Ireland) and MEP Jerkovic (Croatia), Stroke Alliance for Europe (SAFE) and the European Stroke Organisation (ESO), highlighted the critical need to act now and embed stroke as a key pillar into the upcoming EU Cardiovascular Health Plan and broader brain health strategies, and to use the Stroke Action Plan for Europe as the framework for this.
Read the full Press Release here.
Closing the Gaps in Stroke Care: A Call to Action for Europe
Stroke is Europe’s second biggest killer and the leading cause of acquired disability. Yet across the EU, stroke services remain fragmented and under-resourced, resulting in preventable deaths, lifelong disabilities, and a widespread lack of long-term support for survivors and their families.
On 14 October 2025, The European Stroke Organisation (ESO) and the Stroke Alliance for Europe (SAFE) will host an event at the European Parliament in Brussels to highlight these systemic gaps and introduce the forthcoming Stroke Action Plan for Europe (SAP-E). This upcoming plan will outline evidence-based, cost-effective solutions designed to improve stroke care across Europe.
The event, Closing the Gaps in Stroke Care: A Call to Action for Europe, will bring together:
- EU and national policymakers
- Stroke survivors and caregivers
- Healthcare professionals and researchers
- Civil society and public health partners
The speakers at the event will outline ways to provide comprehensive stroke care across the entire care pathway, from prevention and emergency response to rehabilitation and long-term support, with a focus on better aligning EU-level initiatives and national implementation, including through the upcoming EU Cardiovascular Health Plan (CVH Plan).
By uniting lived experience, clinical expertise and policy leadership, the event aims to ensure stroke receives the attention it urgently requires within Europe’s health priorities and that updated SAP-E becomes a practical roadmap for meaningful, measurable change.
Joint response to the EU Cardiovascular Health Plan Consultation
The European Stroke Organisation (ESO) and the Stroke Alliance for Europe (SAFE) have jointly responded to the European Commission’s public consultation on the forthcoming EU Cardiovascular Health (CVH) Plan.
With stroke being one of Europe’s leading causes of death and disability, we believe that it must be central to the EU’s strategy. Building on the Stroke Action Plan for Europe (SAP-E), we outline clear priorities to ensure that stroke is fully addressed within the EU CVH health plan to ensure that the people in the EU are supported at every stage, from prevention and acute care to recovery, research and life beyond.
Read the full consultation submission here.