The World Stroke Congress 2025 Returns to Europe

Jul 3, 2025

Join Global Leaders in Stroke Care at WSC 2025 in Barcelona

The World Stroke Congress (WSC) 2025, set to take place on October 22-24, 2025, in the vibrant city of Barcelona, marks a significant milestone for the stroke community.

For the first time in over 15 years, the congress will return to Europe, providing an opportunity to advance the global conversation on stroke prevention, treatment and rehabilitation.

This historic event brings together leading professionals, researchers, clinicians, policymakers and individuals with lived experience to collaborate on shaping the future of stroke care.

A Platform for Global Collaboration and Innovation

WSC 2025 offer a program designed to immerse attendees in the latest scientific breakthroughs and the most pressing issues in stroke research and treatment. From the frontlines of innovation to cutting-edge science, the congress feature a range of topics including:

• Intracranial Atherosclerotic Disease (ICAD)
• Large Artery Disease
• Cardioembolism
• Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis (CVST)
• Stroke in the Young
• Rehabilitation and Recovery
• Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source (ESUS)
• Revolutionary Research Methods
• Hyperacute Stroke Treatment Advances
• Neuroimaging Innovations & Intracranial Hemorrhage Management

This year, WSC 2025 has crafted its program based on a deep dive into the most impactful research and groundbreaking publications from leading stroke and neurology journals. Attendees will gain exclusive access to insights and discoveries directly from those shaping the future of stroke care.

Building a Global Movement for Stroke Care

WSC 2025 is an opportunity to engage with trailblazers in the field, discuss current challenges and solutions, and be part of a global movement to transform stroke prevention and treatment.

The congress will place a strong emphasis on global collaboration, advocacy, diversity, equity and inclusion, ensuring that stroke care continues to improve worldwide. One of the key focuses will be providing opportunities for early career investigators to network, receive mentorship and further their professional development in the field of stroke research and clinical practice.

The program for WSC 2025 is now available, and early bird registration is open! Attendees who register by August 5, 2025, can take advantage of special early bird rates.

Register today and be part of this historic event in the fight against stroke: https://worldstrokecongress.org/registration

Kyrgyzstan joins the fight against stroke by signing the Stroke Action Plan for Europe declaration

Jul 1, 2025

Congratulations!

Kyrgyzstan is now the 15th country to endorse the Declaration for Action on Stroke, marking a significant step towards improving stroke care, prevention and recovery services for its population.

By signing this declaration, Kyrgyzstan’s government demonstrates its commitment to recognising stroke and other cerebrovascular diseases as leading causes of premature death, long-term disability and cognitive decline among adults. The declaration emphasises that many strokes are both preventable and treatable through evidence-based, cost-effective interventions.

With this endorsement, Kyrgyzstan pledges to fully support the implementation of the Stroke Action Plan for Europe, aligning with its four key targets for 2030 and the broader goals of the WHO Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases.

Read more here.

Save the date: ELASF2026

Jun 20, 2025

We are pleased to announce that the fourth in-person European Life After Stroke Forum will take place in Stockholm on 9-10 March 2026.  

The Forum is a unique event where healthcare professionals, researchers, policymakers and those affected by stroke can come together to address the issues of life after stroke. Our programme will be filled with the latest research, best practice and shared insights with the voices of people with lived experience at its heart. 

We are actively seeking abstracts in three categories:  

1. Scientific – for completed or ongoing research focussed on life after stroke.  
2. Service development – for innovative service developments in life after stroke that could benefit others.  
3. Lived experience – for people who have experienced a stroke or those who have supported a loved one through it to share their experiences in creating change.  

For more information or to submit an abstract, please click to visit our website.

European Life After Stroke Forum 2025: Event materials live on the website

May 21, 2025

Thank you to all those that came to the European Life After Stroke Forum in Prague on the 10-11 March. We are delighted to have so many of the European Stroke Community come together to continue to improve Life After Stroke. If you were not able to join us in Prague or would like to re-visit the best moments, we have included the links to the post-event materials that are available on our website below.

SAFE activities in Europe

May 19, 2025

SAFE meets new EU Health Commissioner to champion cardiovascular health

SAFE was invited to meet with the new EU Health Commissioner, Olivér Várhelyi, as the patient organisation representative of the European Alliance for Cardiovascular Health. During the meeting, the Commissioner outlined his commitment to advancing cardiovascular health (CVH) across the EU and shared plans to develop an EU CVH Plan.

Arlene Wilkie, our Director General, highlighted the importance of secondary prevention, rehabilitation and supporting life after a cardiovascular event – ensuring that the lived experience voice remains central in shaping future policy. We will continue to keep our members informed on the progress of the EU CVH Plan and what it could mean for improving stroke services across member states.

Launch of the MEP Cardiovascular Health Group

SAFE was also pleased to attend the launch of the new MEP Cardiovascular Health Group at the European Parliament in Brussels. Chaired by MEP Romana Jerković (S&D, Croatia), the group met with around 50 delegates from the European Alliance for Cardiovascular Health to discuss the year’s work programme and to mark the launch of a new publication by the Alliance: “A European Cardiovascular Health Plan: The Roadmap.” 

Representing SAFE at the event were Arlene Wilkie, our Director General, alongside Liliana Curea from ALIA, Romania, and Adam Siger from Fundacja Udaru Mózgu, Poland. The formation of this dedicated group within the European Parliament represents a significant step forward in driving coordinated EU action to improve cardiovascular health outcomes across member states.

ESAD2025: Europe makes strides in stroke care, but stark inequities persist, new data reveal

May 13, 2025

The 2023 Stroke Services Tracker data shows progress in stroke care planning and treatment access, but persistent disparities demand urgent attention.

New data from the Stroke Action Plan for Europe’s 2023 Stroke Service Tracker, launched today, show encouraging progress in stroke care across Europe – but also highlight serious inequalities that urgently need to be addressed.

A total of 47 countries contributed to the latest dataset, providing the most comprehensive picture yet of stroke care across the continent. The findings show improvements in national planning, emergency treatment and prevention. However, too many people who have had a stroke still face major challenges in accessing the care, rehabilitation and follow-up they need.

Stronger national commitment to stroke care

There is growing political commitment to tackling stroke. The number of countries with a national stroke plan has risen from 16 in 2022 to 24 in 2023, with 16 more countries currently developing one. Importantly, 30 countries now involve Stroke Support Organisations in shaping national stroke strategies and guidelines, ensuring people with lived experience have a voice in how care is delivered. Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia have recently joined this effort.

Programmes aimed at preventing stroke are also becoming more common. Lithuania, Sweden, the Netherlands and Germany are among the countries that have launched or expanded national prevention efforts in the past year, bringing the total to 23.

Improved access to life-saving treatment – but too slowly

Access to key emergency treatments for ischaemic stroke (which happens when a blood clot or blockage stops blood flow to parts of the brain) is improving, but unevenly. On average, 15.4% of eligible patients received clot-busting drugs (intravenous thrombolysis), and 5.9% underwent mechanical thrombectomy – a procedure to remove a clot directly from the brain.

Seven countries have now met the European benchmark of giving thrombolysis to at least 20% of patients, and 14 have reached the target of delivering thrombectomy to over 7.5%, based on high-quality data. Five more countries hit this goal using data of lower quality.

However, delays in treatment remain a major problem. Only seven countries managed to achieve the recommended ‘door-to-groin’ time – the time from arrival in hospital to starting thrombectomy – of 60 minutes or less. In 12 countries, this delay was over 90 minutes, reducing the chances of a good recovery. 

Ongoing challenges in stroke unit care, rehabilitation and follow-up

Despite some progress, the organisation of stroke services and monitoring of quality still fall short in many areas. The goal of admitting at least 90% of stroke patients to a specialist stroke unit is only met in nine countries with reliable data. In contrast, some countries admit fewer than one in four patients to stroke units – and others don’t collect this data at all.

Only 22 countries monitor the quality of stroke unit care. The picture is even more concerning when it comes to rehabilitation after hospital discharge. Just 11 countries have systems in place to monitor the quality of rehabilitation services.

Early rehabilitation is available in stroke units in 22 countries (although data quality is low in eight). However, there has been little progress in ensuring patients have a rehabilitation and care transition plan which are essential for continued recovery. Just five countries systematically monitor whether such plans are given, while 14 estimate that they are provided, but without proper tracking.

Follow-up care after stroke also varies widely. Only 11 countries report that at least 90% of patients receive follow-up and just four countries offer structured follow-up that meets recognised standards.

Prevention of further strokes and improving patient outcomes

Preventing another stroke is crucial – nearly one in four strokes happens in someone who has already had one. But across Europe, there is little data on how well countries are doing in providing secondary prevention, or how many patients are getting the medication and support they need. This makes it difficult for policymakers to know where to act.

These inequalities in care are reflected in outcomes. In some regions, death rates within 30 days of stroke remain worryingly high, pointing to major differences in access to emergency treatment, rehabilitation services and longer-term support.

Life after stroke: support remains limited
Only 13 countries report having a dedicated national programme for life after stroke. While many address important aspects of recovery, support remains inconsistent. Twelve countries include ongoing health management in their programmes, while 10 focus on emotional adjustment and mental wellbeing. Eleven countries offer support for everyday activities and practical challenges, and an equal number provide information and guidance for both stroke survivors and their carers. 

A call to action: bridging the gap between potential and practice

“The 2023 Stroke Service Tracker data show that while momentum is building in some areas – particularly in national planning and access to acute therapies – major gaps in organisation, delivery and equity of stroke care persist,” said Professor Hanne Christensen, Chair of the Stroke Action Plan for Europe. “There is no room for complacency. Countries must take these insights and act decisively to bring data collection and stroke care up to the standards that every person affected by stroke deserves.”

Arlene Wilkie, Director General of the Stroke Alliance for Europe (SAFE), added: “It is unacceptable that in 2023 we still see such wide disparities in access to stroke unit care, early rehabilitation and life after stroke support. Stroke survivors need holistic and continuous care. We call on all national governments and policy makers to do better in providing the essential services required for all those affected by stroke.”

Professor Simona Sacco, President of the European Stroke Organisation (ESO), emphasised: “The Stroke Action Plan for Europe provides countries with the framework they need to close the gap between aspiration and delivery. These data are both a roadmap and a challenge – to work smarter, faster and more equitably.”

Click for more information on your country’s data, the Stroke Action Plan for Europe and the Stroke Service Tracker

About SAP-E and the Stroke Service Tracker

The Stroke Action Plan for Europe (SAP-E), launched in 2018, provides a strategic blueprint to improve stroke prevention, care and life after stroke support by 2030. The Stroke Service Tracker (SST) was developed as a monitoring tool to evaluate Europe’s progress against the SAP-E targets, providing valuable insights for national stakeholders to drive improvements.

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 – €60 billion in 2017 – and is projected to rise to €86 billion by 2040 without urgent reform.

The SST continues to be a vital instrument for mapping progress and exposing areas where countries fall short. It is a call for action, innovation and investment to ensure every stroke survivor in Europe has access to high-quality, timely and equitable care – no matter where they live. 

European Stroke Organisation Conference

Apr 29, 2025

The European Stroke Organisation Conference (ESOC) 2025 will take place in Helsinki, Finland on the 21-23 May. The scientific programme is focussed on:

• Acute ischaemic stroke management

• Intracranial haemorrhage

• Recovery, rehabilitation, and outcome

• Diagnosis / Etiology

• Risk factors and prevention (primary and secondary)

• Novel targets: experimental findings to clinical translation

• Digital transformation, AI and robotics

The medically focussed event will share cutting-edge research and insights in stroke prevention, treatment, diagnosis and rehabilitation.

Be Prepared! Recognise The Stroke. Act Fast.

Apr 23, 2025

SAFE met with SAFE board member Dorina Dobreva, founder and chair of the board for Association for Stroke and Aphasia (Bulgaria) and Dr. Georgi Georgiev, Vice President for Association for Stroke and Aphasia, to talk about their 2024 campaign for World Stroke Day

Every year on 29 October, World Stroke Day provides a global spotlight on stroke. For the Association for Stroke and Aphasia (ASA), this annual event is more than a date on the calendar – it is a call to action.

Why ASA chose to join the global movement

Although ASA is still a young organisation, founded in 2020, it sees involvement in international stroke campaigns as a vital responsibility. The team believes that raising awareness and sharing knowledge can make a real difference – even save lives.

“Although we are a relatively new stroke support organisation, we believe that our involvement in international stroke organisations such as the World Stroke Organisation and SAFE is a societal responsibility,” the organisation’s founder and chair of the board Dorina Dobreva explains. “It compels us to work towards enhancing the health skills of everyone in Bulgaria.”

From its inception, ASA has actively participated in World Stroke Day campaigns. For them, joining this global fight is a step toward building a healthier and more hopeful future.

Planning with purpose: setting goals and KPIs

When planning for the campaign, the team examined their stroke statistics in Bulgaria. They were alarmed by the growing number of young people experiencing strokes and the lack of action from policymakers.

“We decided to focus our 2024 campaign on spreading essential knowledge about stroke,” explains Dorina. “Its nature, risk factors, symptoms, and most importantly, how to act when it happens.”

This is where the team saw its greatest potential for impact: by improving public knowledge to help more people recognise stroke symptoms and seek treatment quickly to receive thrombolysis treatment (IVT).

“One proven way to change the pessimistic stroke statistics in Bulgaria is by improving access to IVT stroke treatment and therefore reducing disability as well as the social costs to the country as a whole.”

Key performance indicators included:

• The percentage of ischaemic stroke patients who received IVT (thrombolysis) within the treatment window
• The annual percentage of IVT-eligible patients compared to treatment rates across leading neurological departments

Inside the campaign

The 2024 campaign carried a clear message: “Be Prepared! Recognise The Stroke. Act Fast!”

One of the centrepieces was the “Pathway of knowledge” – a 7-metre interactive installation that gave people a hands-on way to learn about stroke in just minutes. Along the path, QR codes linked to deeper resources. At the end, participants could take a quick online quiz and even snap a selfie in support of the cause.

“Each person who has passed the ‘Pathway of knowledge about stroke’ will have all the information they need to save someone’s life,” says Dr. Georgi Georgiev, the organisation’s Vice President.

Other campaign features included:

• A new Stroke infobot on Viber, offering instant access to stroke information
• A dedicated National support line for stroke survivors and carers
• Multiple educational videos (30 seconds to 2 minutes) shared across TV, social media and public displays
• Consistent campaign visuals aligned with ASA’s brand and global stroke awareness imagery, shared across banners, press releases, and websites

Working with institutions and partners

Another impactful initiative was a series of expert-led events titled “Stroke – A look into the black box.” These national discussions brought together doctors, emergency services, policymakers, media and stroke survivors to map out the full stroke care journey – from the moment symptoms appear to hospital treatment. The message was clear: no one organisation can fix this alone.

“At every meeting, all the experts agreed: the lack of public knowledge is a major issue. It delays emergency calls and transport to stroke centres, costing lives. We need to work together to do better” Georgi explains.

With long-standing support from the Municipality of Sofia, the team achieved two additional important wins:

1. Their stroke awareness video would now be displayed year-round, not just twice a year.
2. Trams and trolleybuses in Sofia with digital displays showed the video during the World Stroke Day campaign.

Extending activities to the whole of Bulgaria

The campaign was not limited to the capital, activities reached towns and cities across the country, including:

• The “Pathway of knowledge” interactive installation in various public spaces
• Educational videos and visual content shared online and through traditional media
• Print materials, QR code resources and community-led information sessions

Wherever possible, people were encouraged to share photos of themselves at the end of the pathway to show support and spread the message further.

Mobilising volunteers

In 2024, the team faced a challenge – their usual partners at the Red Cross were unavailable to assist during the campaign. Undeterred, the team turned to friends, carers and stroke survivors for help.

“Many people joined us, especially during the ‘Pathway of knowledge’ events,” says Dorina. “Caregivers and medical experts also played a key role in spreading the word.”

The campaign’s national launch, held at Serdika Mall, was opened by ASA’s President and broadcast live on National Television.

What were the results?

Early signs are encouraging. Awareness is growing, more health professionals are taking part, and thousands have already visited the ‘Pathway of knowledge’. The campaign’s coverage is expanding, and public engagement is rising. Still, Dorina acknowledges that some results will take time.

“To truly understand the campaign’s impact, we will need to evaluate data mid-2025. This work will continue for years – but we are committed.”

Why create a campaign report?

ASA believes in transparency, responsibility and continuous learning. Documenting their efforts helps ensure that each campaign builds on the last.

“Achieving remarkable results is vital – but so is the process of getting there,” Georgi explains. “We want to demonstrate our capacity and innovation as a stroke support organisation. But more importantly, we want to stay aligned with values like honour, dignity, and mutual respect.”

Through clear goals, strategic action and a community-driven spirit, the team at ASA continues to push forward – building a stroke-aware Bulgaria, one step at a time.

Click to download the report here.

Contact Dorina to find out more: info@stroke.bg

VALIDATE: Ensuring the use of AI is safe in stroke care

Mar 15, 2025

On Brain Awareness Week’s sixth day we are focusing on Validate, an EU Horizon research project which is using AI to revolutionise stroke treatment by analysing patient data and helping doctors make faster, more informed decisions. A huge part of this project is ensuring that AI is trustworthy, safe, fair and reliable before its widespread hospital use.  

AI’s role in stroke treatment 

Over one million people in the EU suffer from ischemic strokes each year. Treatments like mechanical thrombectomy (removing the clot) and intravenous thrombolysis (dissolving the clot with medication) can be lifesaving, but their effectiveness varies based on factors like time since the stroke, patient age, health problems and genetics can affect the outcome. VALIDATE is developing an AI tool to help doctors select the best treatment for each patient. 

Ensuring AI is Safe and Fair 

To make AI a reliable medical tool, VALIDATE focuses on: 

• Training AI with diverse data to reduce bias 

• Collaborating with doctors, AI experts and patients 

• Following EU safety and ethical regulations 

• Continuously testing for accuracy and reliability 

Dr. Riana Mutua from the Berlin Institute for Health stresses the need for interdisciplinary collaboration: 

“Ensuring AI is trustworthy in healthcare requires more than just technical excellence. At VALIDATE, we work closely with doctors, patients and AI developers while following strict ethical and regulatory guidelines. By combining expertise across fields, we will create an AI system that doctors can trust – one that truly benefits patients and leads to more informed treatment decisions.” 

Arlene Wilkie, Director General of the Stroke Alliance for Europe (SAFE), highlights the importance of patient involvement: 

“It is essential that stroke survivors have a voice in the development of AI tools that will impact their care. Through VALIDATE, we ensure that this technology is designed with both patients and clinicians in mind. AI should not only support doctors in making better decisions but also improve outcomes and quality of life for those affected by stroke.” 

By prioritising safety, fairness and patient-centered design, VALIDATE is paving the way for more personalised, effective and trustworthy AI-assisted stroke care. 

Click to view video about how Validate makes AI safe

Or click to visit the Validate website

The VALIDATE project receives funding from the European Commission’s Horizon Europe Programme under grant agreement number 101057263.