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ESO and SAFE welcome the publication of the EU Healthier Together plan
The European Commission recently launched the EU Non-Communicable Diseases Initiative – Healthier Together to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCD), including stroke, and improve health and wellbeing.
From December 2021 to May 2022, the Stroke Alliance for Europe (SAFE) and the European Stroke Organisation (ESO) worked closely together with DG Sante, the EU Commission department responsible for their policies on health and food safety, in the co-creation process for the EU NCD initiative.
This has resulted in the publication of a toolkit to guide Member states and EU policymakers towards a holistic and coordinated approach for health promotion and disease prevention, treatment and care, for diseases including stroke.
The plan covers the period from 2022-2027 and prioritises four disease groups including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, mental health and neurological disorders and health determinants for all major NCDs. Recognising its significant health burden and opportunities for improvement, we are delighted to see that stroke is specifically drawn out as a priority area under mental health and neurological disorders.
The initiative underlines the vital importance of implementing a national stroke plan, increasing public awareness, and improving screening, encompassing the entire chain of care from primary prevention to life after stroke.
This builds on the Stroke Action Plan for Europe (SAP-E), prepared by ESO and SAFE for the years 2018 to 2030.
We look forward to working with DG Sante and the European Commission in implementing the initiative to improve stroke prevention, care and life after stroke for all affected by stroke in Europe.
Harriet Priois, SAFE President added:
“We welcome this response by the European Commission to the ongoing efforts of the health community to prioritise non-communicable diseases (NCDs) on the EU agenda. We worked together with the European Stroke Organisation on a joint response to the consultation which was based on the Stroke Action Plan for Europe and the Essentials of Stroke care guideline.
We are delighted that stroke is drawn out as a priority area and that the Stroke Action Plan must be implemented across Europe. This initiative gives us a strong opportunity to raise the profile of stroke within our countries and we hope it will contribute to reducing the stroke burden, and improve the quality of life of those living with stroke in Europe.”
Download the full report
Highlighting SAP-E successes on European Stroke Awareness Day
On the occasion of European Stroke Awareness Day 2022, the European Stroke Organisation (ESO) and Stroke Alliance for Europe (SAFE) are pleased to share the progress made toward reaching the 4 overarching targets of the Stroke Action Plan for Europe (SAP-E).
Over the past year, SAP-E has made great strides in reaching the goals set out in the Action Plan. As of today and thanks to the advocacy of the SAP-E National Coordinators, these achievements include:
- Establishment of a network of National Coordinators
- Translation of the Stroke Action Plan for Europe document in 12 languages
- Launch of the Declaration for Action on Stroke
- 8 countries currently signed
- Publication of the Essentials of Stroke Care guidelines
- Development of a National Stroke Plan Template
- Initiation of the Stroke Service Tracker (SST) survey
Prof. Hanne Christensen, Professor of Neurology and Chair of the Stroke Action Plan for Europe says, “Stroke can be prevented and treated, but there is still a significant gap between knowledge and the delivery of stroke services. In early 2022 we [the SAP-E Steering Committee] launched the SST. This survey will enable us to monitor the progress of quality of care and outcomes. The yearly data collected from the SST will allow for benchmarking both over time and within countries, providing each country with the knowledge and data to facilitate the implementation of its national plan.”
Dr. Francesca Romana Pezzella, Stroke Neurologist and Stroke Action Plan for Europe Co-Chair adds, “The recent successes of our National Coordinators is extremely encouraging. SAP-E gives us a unified approach for stroke treatment and management to help us tackle inequalities in stroke care across European countries. We have developed tools such as the National Stroke Plan Template, which will help National Coordinators support the development of country-specific care plans.”
Arlene Wilkie, SAFE Director General and SAP-E implementation Co-Chair says, “Stroke is the biggest cause of adult disability in Europe with impacts on all aspects of life – economic, social, medical, physical and mental health. Together with ESO we have developed a number of documents and tools to improve stroke care, including an illustrated Fact Sheet on the basics of stroke and the Essentials of Stroke Care guidelines that give an overview of evidence-based interventions covering the entire chain of stroke care.”
Download the full media release
SAP-E Essentials of Stroke Care
The Essentials of Stroke Care manifesto was made as a tool for The Stroke Action Plan for Europe (SAP-E) [1] and has been endorsed by the European Stroke Organisation. The document is aimed at people working with stroke; another document aimed at people working with planning of stroke care or advocacy for stroke care will be published on the SAP-E website in due time.
[1] Norrving B, Barrick J, Davalos A, et al. Action Plan for Stroke in Europe 2018-2030. Eur Stroke J 2018;3:309-336
Watch now: Prof. Thorsten Steiner discusses the importance of this document for patients and their caregivers towards the implementation of the Stroke Action Plan for Europe.
Download the SAP-E Essentials of Stroke Care
SAP-E Chairs in an interview with touchNEUROLOGY
In the video interview with the magazine touchNEUROLOGY, the Chairs of the Stroke Action Plan for Europe Steering Committee, Prof. Hanne Christensen, Dr. Francesca Romana Pezzella and Arlene Wilkie highlight the goals of the action plan and discuss its planned targets to reduce the burden of stroke through improvement of care.
Questions (part one):
- What do you consider to be the major unmet needs in stroke care across Europe? (0:48)
- Could you give us a brief overview of the Stroke Action Plan for Europe (SAP-E) and its overall goal? (3:27)
Questions (part two):
- What are the targets of SAP-E for 2030? (0:48)
- How will individual organisations be supported to achieve these targets? (2:10)
- What have been the achievements of the Stroke Action Plan for Europe to date? (7:44)
Interview and filming supported by Touch Medical Media. Interview conducted by Katey Gabrysch.
Watch part one
Ukraine signs the Stroke Action Plan for Europe Declaration
On 19 May 2021, Ukraine announced that the Ministry of Health of Ukraine along with the National Health Service of Ukraine support and have signed the Declaration for Action on Stroke.
Read full article
Declaration for Action on Stroke launches on European Stroke Awareness Day
An appeal is launched today (11 May 2021) for Health Ministries across Europe to sign the Declaration for Action on the Stroke Action Plan for Europe to tackle one of the leading causes of death and disability.
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Improving stroke prevention and care across Europe
In a bid to provide better care to patients and implement national strategies to reduce the risk of strokes, we hear from the European Stroke Organisation as it begins to roll out its largest stroke project ever undertaken, The Stroke Action Plan for Europe.
To read the full article please click here and go to page 174.
Implementation of the Stroke Action Plan for Europe 2018–2030 during coronavirus disease-2019
By Hanne Christensen and Francesca Romana Pezzella (chairs of the SAP-E Steering Committee)
Stroke can be prevented and treated but there remain massive inequalities in Europe. SAP-E has set targets for development of stroke care. COVID-19 pandemic has led to further challenges for stroke care and implementation of the Action Plan will rely on online meetings and resources as it is yet unforeseeable when things will return to normal.
To read the full article please click here.
Additional content: Video of Hanne Christensen
ESO and SAFE present the roadmap of implementation for the Stroke Action Plan for Europe (SAP-E) – a major initiative to reduce the burden of stroke in Europe
11.11.2020 Basel – The European Stroke Organisation (ESO) and Stroke Alliance for Europe (SAFE) called for the first online working session to implement the Stroke Action Plan for Europe 2018-2030. Over 80 representatives from 52 participating countries were introduced to the roadmap of actions for the upcoming year of 2021.
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A unified European action plan on stroke
Launched in May 2018, the Stroke Action Plan for Europe (SAP-E) 2018–2030—a collaborative project by the European Stroke Organisation (ESO) and the patient organisation Stroke Alliance For Europe (SAFE)—tries to fill these gaps in stroke care. The ambitious SAP-E aims to address the entire chain of care, and has established targets across seven domains (primary prevention, organisation of stroke services, management of acute stroke, secondary prevention, rehabilitation, evaluation of stroke outcome and quality assessment, and life after stroke) along with priorities for translational stroke research.