PRESENTATION OF THE RESULTS OF THE NATIONAL CAMPAIGN "EACH MINUTE IS PRECIOUS! LEARN THE STROKE SIGNS",
ORGANISED BY THE ASSOCIATION FOR STROKE AND APHASIA
DEDICATED TO OCTOBER 29th 2022, WORLD STROKE DAY.
The press conference was attended by:
Dipl.Eng. Dorina Dobreva — Chairman of the Management Board of the Association for Stroke and Aphasia (ASA), Evgenia Marincheva-arttherapist, Daniela Petrova and Tatyana Boyadjieva-Ayrst — founders of the Association for Stroke and Aphasia.
Photos: Georgi Paleykov
THE STATISTICS:
The reported STROKE cases in 2022 were 45 444, 2 622 (6 %) were not hospitalised, 8 343 (18 %) were hospitalised in an intensive care unit, and 34 479 (76 %) were hospitalised in a general healthcare facility.
Of those hospitalised, 12 % or 5,518 people died. 3,781 died in the hospital and 1,737 in an intensive unit.
Based on data and statistics deaths caused by acute cerebrovascular diseases were 23 218 persons or 16 % of those who died in the past year. This means that 17 700 Bulgarians who have suffered a stroke in previous 2021 have died. These data confirms how serious is the problem and on two of its key phases of impact — primary and secondary prevention. In primary prevention we focus on better management and control the adverse outcome of the stroke cases (to reduce mortality and disability, through proper recognition of symptoms, fast and correct treatment). In secondary prevention we see that there is a great potential (more than three times higher mortality) to manage secondary incidents, by monitoring the condition and adequate treatment.
The gender and age mortality statistics we present to you demonstrate relative gender parity, but serious attention should be paid to the fact that the number of cases at an early age is gradually increasing and that the mortality rate is significantly high.
Only 65 % of all reported stroke cases were transported by emergency ambulance. We can clearly understand that there is no sufficient number and a good location of stroke units in the country. There are also opposite cases in the districts of Burgas, Pazardzhik, Smolyan and Sliven, for example, where more or less exceeding the number of persons transported by ambulance, diagnosed by the emergency team, as persons with a stroke, compared to the number of hospitalised on clinical pathways. We note this by deducting the number of unhospitalised persons with a stroke.
The map with the location of the stroke units shows relative uniformity and in terms of regional division, sufficiency. However, regions such as Rouse, Varna, Haskovo and Yambol seem to be lagging behind in providing the necessary number of units and their proper locations. This picture should also take into account data on the number of patients admitted, as well as the amount of thrombolysis performed. Applying these factors, we observe sensitive “erosion” and marked insufficient security of enough stroke units on the territory of the country.
As we have seen, the picture in the country is not at all encouraging. This motivates us as Association for stroke and aphasia to be extremely persistent and committed to our cause, preparing 2022 campaign for World Stroke Day.
The Campaign in Numbers:
Despite the small team we have, we managed to handle half a ton of information materials. These were 60,000 leaflets, 12,000 posters, billboards, banners, as well as prefabricated trifold stands with regular adapted and updated leaflets for stroke intended for a year-round use in municipalities.
Due to the very limited resources available to us, we directed the campaign towards just 28 % territorial coverage, which provided us with 60 % population coverage — an extremely sensible campaign targeting the people.
Compared to last year, when we reached 17 municipalities, this year the municipalities that supported the campaign are more than 55!
Illuminated in blue-purple color significant places, landmarks and monuments in the country – around 40 places among which:The Pantheon of the Revivals in Ruse, which was filmed by volunteers with a drone; The historical fortress Tzarevetz in the ancient capital of Bulgaria Veliko Tarnovo; the famous bridge in Gabrovo; the fortress Hissar in the town of Lovech and many others.
We consider it an achievement that the Minister of Health personally,
seeing our special trifold informative stand with leaflets, wished to put one in his own cabinet as a sign of empathy.
For a second consecutive year, companies from the Italian business in Bulgaria supported the campaign, under the auspices and with the assistance of Confindustria by distributing the leaflets and posters in many companies premises.
For a second consecutive year the Sofia metropolitan played all over the stations the video clip provided by WSO and translated with subtitles in Bulgarian.
The Mayor of Sofia presented us with her official letter of Patronage for all activities and campaings we organise as Association for Stroke and Aphasia.
The closing event of our campaign was Donka Dimitrova’s exhibition in the renovated famous mineral bath Tsarska Banya in Bankya, held under the auspices of the Mayor of Sofia, Mrs. Yordanka Fandakova. The opening was attended by the Deputy Minister of Health Dr. Toma Tomov, the city councillor Mrs. Anna Stoykova, Deputy Mayor of Sofia District Bankya, Dr. Alexandra Alexandrova.
We are grateful to the companies that supported us:
We reserve a special place in our hearts for our volunteers who sacrificed their time and work for the National Campaign "Each minute is precious! Learn the symptoms of stroke. Thank you very much to:
We thank everyone who supported us and will continue to support us, because we have already proved that we have the courage and the will to succeed!
Follow the news about our activities on our website.
If you know someone who has had a stroke or is a caregiver to a stroke survivor, please encourage them to contact us — our mission is to help them!