World Stroke Day is a day to take stock. This is a special day when we look back at the past year in the hope of remembering fewer of our relatives, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, celebrities, ..., who have had a stroke. This year, we, those who live and work in Bulgaria, cannot look back with a smile. For us, this year was another year of increasing the number of cases. It was a time of ruthless mowing down of a growing number of young people, and the boundaries of our direct interaction as people began to reach us personally. We - those with an average age of 45 years for the country, those from the aging nation, those who continue to fall victim to the lack of decisive measures to deal with a national, socially significant problem - stroke.
This led us this year to change the focus of our campaign, focusing on the mass dissemination of key knowledge about stroke, namely:
- Nature of the stroke;
- Risk factors;
- Symptoms of stroke and correct behavior when they are detected.
We decided to present this information in several ways:
The first 7 (meters) are important!
In many places around the country you will have the opportunity to go through our "Path of Knowledge". In just a few minutes, walking the 7-meter real path, you will be able to learn a lot about stroke, and those of you who want more in-depth knowledge, the trail offers special QR codes through which more advanced information will be directly accessed. At the end of the path, a short game awaits you, with which you will check whether you have correctly learned the symptoms of a stroke and how to react, If you distinguish them. This is important so that we can be sure with you that you will be able to save someone if possible. For us, everyone who has crossed the trail and acquired the key knowledge about stroke is essential, so the trail ends with a place where you can be placed in the spotlight, take a picture and send us your photo with information about the settlement where you passed through the trail. This way we will be able to make a fabulous collage with smiling and knowledgeable people to make sure that although every year we register 50,000 new stroke cases, we, the knowers, are more and will soon begin to prevail over stroke!
Where and when will you be able to go through the "Path of Knowledge"?
Sofia
From 26.10 to 03.11.2024 from 10:00 to 22:00. in Mall "Serdika", level -1
On 29.10.2024. in front of the University Hospital "St. Anna";
Varna
On 29.10.2024. at the entrance of the University Hospital "St. Marina"
Veliko Tarnovo
On 29.10.2024. from 9:30 a.m. in the conference hall, together with students;
from 16:00 in Mall Veliko Tarnovo.
Burgas
On 29 and 30.10.2024. in the building of the Heart and Brain Hospital - Burgas
Pleven
On 29 and 30.10.2024. in the building of the Heart and Brain Hospital - Pleven
Stara Zagora
On 29.10.2024. in the building of the University Hospital "Prof. Dr. Stoyan Kirkovich"
Blagoevgrad
On 29.10.2024. in the building of the Rector's Office of South-West University "Neofit Rilski"
Silistra
On 29.10.2024. in front of the Municipality building
Noisy
On 29.10.2024. (the location will be announced additionally on 29.10.2024)
Partnership with municipalities in Bulgaria
The Association for Stroke and Aphasia has been successfully partnering with municipalities in Bulgaria for 4 years. With most of them, agreements for cooperation in stroke prevention have already been signed, based on joint work and the realized need for joint action.
To all municipalities in the country, the Association for Stroke and Aphasia made the following appeal:
DEAR LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
Our society has reached the limits of tolerance regarding stroke – the main cause of death and disability in the country! The time has come when concrete, measurable and clearly targeted actions must be taken in order to oppose with knowledge and categorical will, with care for our own health and that of our loved ones!
Join the National Campaign of the Stroke and Aphasia Association "Be prepared! Recognize the symptoms of a stroke. Act fast!", starting on 29.10.2024.
Inform the public about the stroke!
Be active!
Bulgarian municipalities will participate in this National Campaign by distributing electronic materials about stroke symptoms, as well as by publicizing the benefits of Infobot for Viber, a free tool created by AIA – a pocket guide for stroke. It includes rich information materials, accessible through an intuitive menu, which allows you to quickly reach assistance for personal risk assessment, information about risk factors for stroke and even an algorithm for checking whether a person's condition is related to the onset of a stroke.
Mobile and informed
This year, the partnership of AIA with Sofia Municipality, represented by Sofia Metropolitan and Sofia Electric Transport, is deepening. With the beginning of the campaign, a new information clip about stroke begins to be broadcast on the screens of all metro stations in the city of Sofia. Sofia. The video presents information about the scale of stroke in Bulgaria, stroke symptoms and presents Infobot for stroke as a universal pocket guide. The extended clip has a duration of 2 minutes and will be broadcast in two periods:
- period 1 - from 28.10. until 03.11.2024, incl.;
- period 2 - from 12.05. until 18.05.2025, incl.
During the days of the campaign (from 28.10 to 03.11.2024), the video will also be broadcast on the screens of trams and trolleybuses in the city of Sofia. Sofia.
For the first time, the Sofia Metropolitan, with the approval of Sofia Municipality, will broadcast a short clip about stroke prevention all year round! This is crucial for improving our society's knowledge of stroke. Approximately 19% of the country's population lives in the capital, and the metro is used by an average of 64 million. Passengers per year (according to 2021 data), and has 47 metro stations. This means that on average more than 5,000 passengers pass through each station daily, who will see the information video. This gives real opportunities within 1 year for information about stroke to be accepted among more than 15% of the country's population.
Consolidating the stroke community
Along with all the efforts that the Association for Stroke and Aphasia makes for active stroke prevention and increasing the health knowledge of our society, the current National Campaign "Be prepared! Recognize the stroke. Act fast!" on the occasion of 29.10.2024. – World Stroke Day, launches a new initiative – Viber Community "Stroke and Aphasia". The community is a response to the need of stroke victims, their families, relatives and caregivers for quick access to useful information, such as free examinations, screening campaigns, new rehabilitation or medical services and more. Joining the Viber community is completely free and does not require registration. We call on everyone affected to get involved, which will improve communication in our community on important topics affecting all of us.
The results of the campaign will be announced at a press conference.
For further information about the campaign, you can refer to Dr. Georgi Georgiev, Deputy Chairman of the Agency and Head of the Campaign.