BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.2.3.1//EN BEGIN:VEVENT UID:65-5635@care.sasnetghana.org DTSTART;TZID=Africa/Accra;VALUE=DATE:20250316 DTEND;TZID=Africa/Accra;VALUE=DATE:20250401 DTSTAMP:20250316T144518Z URL:https://care.sasnetghana.org/events/5th-national-stroke-survivors-day- 2025-a-call-on-the-new-government-to-priotized-and-align-our-health-care-s ystem-with-ghanas-resetting-agenda-for-better-patient-outcomes/ SUMMARY:5th NATIONAL STROKE SURVIVORS DAY 2025 -A CALL ON THE NEW GOVERNMEN T TO PRIOTIZED AND ALIGN OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM WITH GHANA’S RESETTING A GENDA FOR BETTER PATIENT OUTCOMES DESCRIPTION:5th NATIONAL STROKE SURVIVORS DAY 2025 -A CALL ON THE NEW GOVER NMENT TO PRIOTIZED AND ALIGN OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM WITH GHANA’S RESETTI NG AGENDA FOR BETTER PATIENT OUTCOMES\n\nStroke Association Supportnetwork -Ghana (SASNET-GHANA) a national non-for-profit Organization that operates across all the regions of Ghana. The Organization is a member of the Worl d Stroke Organization\, World Heart Federation\, World Patient Alliance\, World Hypertension League\, African Stroke Organization\, and the NCD Alli ance Ghana\, and has a consultative status with the United Nation since 20 20.\n\nNational Stroke Survivors Day is commemorated annually on March 16 th to promote the rights of persons with stroke\, caregivers and stroke h ealth professionals and advocate for an improved health care delivery and post discharged support (Life After A Stroke) for all persons affected wit h strokes and their families. The day aims to raise awareness about stroke \, its signs\, and risk factors\, as well as support stroke survivors in G hana ².\n\n \;\n\nThe Day\, National Stroke Survivors was instituted by the Stroke Association Support Network-Ghana (SASNET-Ghana) with suppor t of the Ministry of Health and other partners \, Prof. Albert Akpalu Pres ident of the Neurology Society of Ghana \, Ghana NCD Alliance and other St roke and Health Professionals Associations in Ghana who are focused  on c ampaigning to raise awareness\, supporting stroke survivors\, and advocati ng for policy changes to improve stroke care delivery and the provision   of Assistive Technology to those in need of them.\n\n \;\n\nThe theme for this year 2025 National Stroke Survivors Day (NSSD202) event is ’Reh abilitate\, Reintegrate\, Renew: Renew Enhancing Stroke Care through Prima ry Health Care\, Towards Universal Health Coverage and Sustainable Develop ment’.\n\nThis year’s theme is aligned with the President of Ghana\, H is Excellency John Dramani Mahama’s agenda of making primary health care accessible for all persons\,\n\n \;\n\nGhana’s Universal Health Cov erage Agenda\, the Sustainable Development Goals and\n\nthe National Polic y Non Communicable Disease \, 2022 \, session 3.1.2 \,Secondary and Tertia ry Prevention with emphasis on Rehabilitation \,\n\nthus \, I  quote’ T his policy shall seek to promote and bring together appropriate measures t o enable persons with disabilities including stroke (emphasis mine) to att ain and maintain their maximum independence \, full physical \, mental \,s ocial and vocational ability \, and their inclusion and participation in a ll aspect of life through the implementation of activities aimed at improv ing the availability and access to modern rehabilitation facility \, inclu ding orthotics and prosthetics\, gadgets\, capacity building in the procur ement \, distribution \, installation\, use and maintenance  of the rehab ilitation equipment and the  provision  of support \, counselling and th erapy service to restore and to compensate lost function\, unquote.\n\n&nb sp\;\n\nThe observance of the 5th National Stroke Survivors Day today 16th of March\, 2025 is an opportunity to highlight the importance of stroke p revention\, gaps in Ghana health care system with respect to stroke care d elivery \,  provision of Assistive Technology to those in need of them \,   timely treatment\, adequate  patient to multidisciplinary team (multid isciplinary team manage and treat stroke )  ratio\, access to quality tre atment and services \,post discharge support \, community based rehabilita tion \, use of rehabilitation robotics  and support for survivors and the ir families.\n\n \;\n\nOver 71\,985 cases of stroke were reported acro ss the country between 2021 and 2023 according to the Non Communicable Dis ease Control Programme of the Ghana Health Service\, being the leading cau se of deaths and disabilities in Ghana. According to the\, World Health Or ganization WHO\, in 2020\, 15\,163 people died from stroke in Ghana\, whic h was 8.67% of the total death.\n\nStroke is considered a significant publ ic health concern in sub-Saharan Africa and Ghana due to its impact on qua lity of life\, (Attakorah et al\, 2024) Stroke severity is the key predict or of long-term mortality after an index stroke in Ghana\, regardless of t he underlying pathophysiologic mechanism (Sarfo\, et al\, 2022).\n\n \ ;\n\nStroke constitutes a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in Ghana. Major efforts are needed in the prevention and treatment of stroke. Population-based health education programs and appropriate public health policy need to be developed (Agyeman et al\, 2022). Instituting acute stro ke systems of care to facilitate timely reperfusion efforts may greatly im prove long term survival outcomes after stroke in SSA (Sarfo\, et al\, 202 2).\n\n.\n\n \;\n\n8 Key Action demands from government of Ghana\, Min istry of Health\, Ghana\,:\n\n \;\n\n Invest in Stroke Care Delivery/ Health Care System: Provide each regional hospital with CT scan and MRI ma chines for early detection and treatment of stroke.\n\n \;\n\n Train Healthcare Professionals: Invest in the training of neurologists\, physiot herapists\, speech and language therapists\, occupational therapists\, aud iologists\, clinical psychologists\, stroke nurses\, and social workers\, etc in the attainment of WHO patient to doctors /other health professional s ratio.\n\n \;\n\n \;\n\n Rehabilitation Robotics: Invest in the training\, purchase and use of rehabilitation robotics to improve patient outcomes.\n\n \;\n\n National Policy on Assistive Technology: Suppor t the development of a National Policy on Assistive Technology for Ghana i n the provision and effective management of AT such as wheelchairs\, walke rs\, etc.\n\n \;\n\n \;\n\n Community-Based Rehabilitation Center s: Support the effort by the Stroke Association Supportnetwork-Ghana in th e establishment community-based rehabilitation robotics centers across the 16 regions of Ghana with aim to make rehabilitation service more accessib le to persons living disability at the community level.\n\n \;\n\n&nbs p\;\n\n \;\n\n Expand National Health Insurance Scheme: Cover all phy siotherapy sessions for persons living with stroke under the National Heal th Insurance Scheme.\n\n \;\n\n Support for Persons with Disability: Include persons with disability in the Government's LEAP livelihood progra m to support those who are incapable of working.\n\n \;\n\n Governmen t should enforce the policy mandating public and private institutions to m odify their facilities to make it accessible via ramps\, lifts\, etc to en able easy access for persons with stroke/disability.\n\n \;\n\n \; \n\n \;\n\nWe believe that every stroke survivor deserves access to qu ality healthcare and rehabilitation services\, as well as government provi ding all the needed support for stroke health professionals to deliver qua lity and patient centered service “said Sir Ad Adams Ebenezer\, Executiv e Director of SASNET-GHANA.\n\n \;\n\nWe urge the Government of Ghana to prioritize health care delivery especially stroke care and invest in in itiatives that improve patient outcomes’.\n\n \;\n\nJoin us in advoc ating for better stroke care in Ghana. Together\, we will rebuild the live s of those affected with Stroke\, indeed there is LIFE AFTER A STROKE\n\n& nbsp\;\n\n \;\n\nAd Adams Ebenezer\n\nRehabilitation Expert and Global   Patient Advocate  \, Secretary\, African Stroke Organization\, Vice Ch air Ghana NCD Alliance\, WHO CSO Communication and Advocacy WG member\n\nE xecutive Director\, SASNET-Ghana\n\n+233594989495/+233202985960\n\nad.adam s@sasnetghana.org sasnetghana@gmail.com ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://care.sasnetghana.org/wp-content/uploads/ sites/65/2025/03/IMG-20250310-WA0038.jpg CATEGORIES:Featured Events LOCATION:Ghana\, Madina\, Accra\, Accra\, Greater Accra\, 00233\, African r egion\, Ghana GEO:5.740487;-0.177595 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Madina\, Accra\, Accra\, Gr eater Accra\, 00233\, African region\, Ghana;X-APPLE-RADIUS=100;X-TITLE=Gh ana:geo:5.740487,-0.177595 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Africa/Accra X-LIC-LOCATION:Africa/Accra BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20240316T000000 TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR