New WHO report underscores urgent need for action on stroke

Oct 16, 2025

This week, the World Health Organization (WHO) published its latest Global Status Report on Neurology, revealing that stroke is the leading neurological disorder contributing to health loss worldwide.

In addition, the report outlines the direct costs of 24 brain disorders, including neurological and mental health conditions, exceeded US$ 1.7 trillion, growing by 3.5% annually since 2000. Stroke and dementia account for a large share of this burden. These figures exclude indirect costs such as lost productivity and informal care, which are likely to be substantial.

Despite these figures, stroke care remains fragmented and under-resourced across prevention, acute treatment, rehabilitation and long-term support. We need urgent coordinated action to address this gap.

The Stroke Action Plan for Europe (2018-2030), developed by SAFE and the European Stroke Organisation, provides an evidence-based framework and recommendations for countries to improve their stroke prevention, treatment and post-stroke care.

At the same time, the European Commission is developing the first ever EU Cardiovascular Health Plan, which represents a milestone in the EU’s approach to chronic disease prevention and management.

This represents a seminal moment for stroke in Europe. If we combine the new Cardiovascular Health Plan with the Stroke Action Plan for Europe, we have a real opportunity to drive national action and deliver measurable improvements for people across the continent.

Arlene Wilkie, Director General of SAFE says “We owe it to the citizens of Europe to prevent as many strokes as possible, and to ensure that those who experience a stroke receive the care, rehabilitation and support they need to rebuild their lives no matter where they live.”

Stroke takes centre stage at a European Parliament event: A call to close the gaps in stroke care across Europe

Oct 16, 2025

On Tuesday, stroke took centre stage at a European Parliament event in Brussels, where policymakers, people with lived experience, healthcare professionals, researchers, stroke support organisations and stroke advocates came together to call for urgent action to address lack of stroke research and persistent inequalities in stroke prevention, treatment and long-term care across Europe. 

The recent World Health Organisation ‘Global status report on neurology’ highlights that stroke is the top neurological disorder contributing to health loss globally. Europe faces over 1.1 million strokes each year, causing nearly 460,000 deaths. Nearly 10 million people live with stroke’s long-term effects. The economic burden is immense and is projected to rise to €86 billion by 2040 without urgent reform. Stroke is the second leading cause of death and the leading cause of adult disability in Europe. 

The event, “Closing the Gaps in Stroke Care: A Call to Action for Europe”, hosted by MEP Kelleher (Ireland) and MEP Jerkovic (Croatia), Stroke Alliance for Europe (SAFE) and the European Stroke Organisation (ESO), highlighted the critical need to act now and embed stroke as a key pillar into the upcoming EU Cardiovascular Health Plan and broader brain health strategies, and to use the Stroke Action Plan for Europe as the framework for this. 

“Too many lives are cut short or permanently altered because access to prevention, acute treatment, rehabilitation and long-term support depends on where you live,” said Arlene Wilkie, Director General of SAFE, “With the upcoming publication of the Stroke Action Plan for Europe, we now have a clear roadmap. What we need is EU leadership to help Member States turn this evidence into action.” 

The event featured contributions from Members of the European Parliament – Billy Kelleher (Ireland) and Romana Jerkovic (Croatia), Marianne Takki from DG Sante, Katherine de Bienassis from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), people with lived experience, ESO and SAFE. 

Discussions underscored the urgent need for a coordinated European approach to closing the gaps in stroke care, supported by stronger alignment between EU and national health policies across five key areas:  

• Prevention: Systematic screening for hypertension and atrial fibrillation, sharing best practices across Member States. 

• Acute care: Expanding access to dedicated stroke units, emergency coordination and life-saving interventions such as thrombolysis and thrombectomy. 

• Rehabilitation: Ensuring early, intensive, multidisciplinary rehabilitation with EU support for scaling up community and outpatient services. 

• Life after stroke: Embedding long-term support, including mental health and reintegration programmes in national frameworks. 

• Research and monitoring: Establishing EU-wide registries, quality indicators and embedding stroke in EU health and research agendas. 

“As the EU prepares to shape its cardiovascular and brain health priorities, stroke must be recognised as a cornerstone issue,” said Professor Simona Sacco, ESO President, “This is the moment to move from fragmented efforts to a coordinated European approach.” 

“I have lived experience of stroke, I know first-hand how life can change in an instant, and how much harder recovery could have become if support would have been fragmented or simply not there. Too many Europeans are left to navigate complex health systems on their own, facing barriers to rehabilitation, returning to work and rebuilding their lives”, said Associate Professor Melinda B Roaldsen, who is a medical doctor and stroke scientist with lived experience from Norway. “This event has given us a chance to change that. By asking MEPs and policy makers to bring stroke into the heart of EU health policy, they have an opportunity to make sure that every person, no matter where they live, has timely access to treatment, quality rehabilitation and long-term support. For me, this isn’t just about statistics or policy. It’s about dignity, independence and hope for millions of people and families across Europe.” 

Closing the Gaps in Stroke Care: A Call to Action for Europe

Sep 23, 2025

Stroke is Europe’s second biggest killer and the leading cause of acquired disability. Yet across the EU, stroke services remain fragmented and under-resourced, resulting in preventable deaths, lifelong disabilities, and a widespread lack of long-term support for survivors and their families. 

On 14 October 2025, SAFE and the European Stroke Organisation (ESO) will host an event at the European Parliament in Brussels to highlight these systemic gaps and introduce the forthcoming Stroke Action Plan for Europe (SAP-E). This upcoming plan will outline evidence-based, cost-effective solutions designed to improve stroke care across Europe. 

The event, Closing the Gaps in Stroke Care: A Call to Action for Europe, will bring together: 

• EU and national policymakers 
• Stroke survivors and caregivers 
• Healthcare professionals and researchers 
• Civil society and public health partners 

The speakers at the event will outline ways to provide comprehensive stroke care across the entire care pathway, from prevention and emergency response to rehabilitation and long-term support, with a focus on better aligning EU-level initiatives and national implementation, including through the upcoming EU Cardiovascular Health Plan (CVH Plan). 

By uniting lived experience, clinical expertise and policy leadership, the event aims to ensure stroke receives the attention it urgently requires within Europe’s health priorities and that updated SAP-E becomes a practical roadmap for meaningful, measurable change.