The conference was attended by Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Xuyen, along with nearly 1,000 doctors and the nation’s leading professors of neurology, cardio-vascular disease, geriatrics and psychology.
Participants heard reports on stroke prevention measures, early treatment and post-stroke rehabilitation., They also discussed recent advances in stroke treatment and prevention.
Stroke, a type of cerebrovascular accident (CVA), is the third leading cause of death and disability worldwide, after cancer and heart attacks.
16 million people are affected by stroke worldwide each year, approximately 6 million of whom do not survive.
More than 80% of strokes are reported in low- and middle-income economies like Vietnam.
In Vietnam, most hospitals do not have modern equipment to treat stroke, due to limited resources, while the people have relatively low awareness of CVA.
To fight the disease effectively, it is essential to raise people’s awareness of stroke and train medical staff in CVA diagnosis and treatment.
The Vietnamese Ministry of Health and the World Stroke Organisation carried out a clinical stroke treatment project between 2008 and 2011.
The project, funded by Austria’s Ever Neuro Pharma, was implemented in 58 provinces and cities across the country with the participation of renowned professors from the WSO and Vietnam.
A total of 8,596 doctors benefitted from the training and received certification from the WSO and the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Health.
