SVIN: Mission Thrombectomy News – January 8, 2025

Mission Thrombectomy 2025: Closing the Gaps in Global Stroke Care

By Fredrick Echols, MD

A Story of Loss and Possibility

One morning, David, a 52-year-old father of three, began slurring his speech and struggling to lift his arm. Recognizing the signs of a stroke, his wife, Maria, called emergency services immediately. Unfortunately, the nearest hospital lacked the expertise and equipment to perform the life-saving procedure he needed—mechanical thrombectomy. David became one of the millions worldwide who lose their lives to stroke each year, despite the availability of effective treatments.

David’s story, though heartbreaking, is not uncommon. Stroke is the second leading cause of death globally, affecting 13.7 million people annually (World Health Organization [WHO], 2022). For ischemic strokes caused by blood clots, thrombectomy offers hope, but only 2% of eligible patients worldwide receive this treatment due to a lack of access, awareness, and resources. The Society of Vascular and Interventional Neurology (SVIN) Mission Thrombectomy (MT) Program is dedicated to addressing these challenges, transforming stroke care, and saving lives.

Global Gaps in Stroke Care

Despite advances in medicine, the stroke care ecosystem remains fragmented.

• Access Barriers: In many parts of the world, especially low- and middle-income countries, healthcare systems lack the infrastructure and trained specialists to perform thrombectomy. Even in high-income nations like the United States, rural communities often face limited access.
• Delayed Treatment: Public awareness of stroke symptoms is alarmingly low. Delays in recognizing and responding to stroke symptoms often mean patients arrive at hospitals outside the critical window for effective intervention.
• Healthcare Inequities: Socioeconomic disparities exacerbate outcomes, with marginalized communities often having fewer resources to access timely care.

The consequences are devastating: strokes claim 6.5 million lives annually and leave millions more with long-term disabilities (Global Stroke Alliance, 2022).

Mission Thrombectomy’s Vision for 2025

The SVIN Mission Thrombectomy Program is tackling global stroke care inequities through strategic and impactful initiatives designed to strengthen the stroke care ecosystem. Each program builds capacity, enhances knowledge, and fosters collaboration across regions to ensure equitable access to life-saving care.

1. Mission Thrombectomy Regional Committees

   Spanning over 100 regions globally, the Mission Thrombectomy Regional Committees are pivotal to achieving the program's mission. These committees serve as vehicles for delivering tailored public health strategies, training, and educational tools to key stakeholders, including clinicians, elected officials, and community leaders. By addressing region-specific challenges, the committees empower local healthcare ecosystems to enhance stroke prevention, treatment, and recovery outcomes.

2. Ambassador Program

   The Ambassador Program continues to grow, now incorporating a collegiate chapter at the University of Miami and aiming to expand to more collegiate institutions in 2025. This initiative mobilizes passionate advocates worldwide to promote stroke awareness, engage with policymakers, expose future medical professionals to opportunities in neurological care, and champion the expansion of thrombectomy services. Ambassadors play a vital role in fostering community involvement and driving meaningful policy changes.

3. Teleobservership Program

   Utilizing cutting-edge technology, the Teleobservership Program provides remote learning opportunities for healthcare professionals in underserved regions. Through virtual mentorships, clinicians can observe thrombectomy techniques and best practices, bridging the gap between expertise and accessibility.

4. Stroke Interventional Laboratory Certification Program

   This certification initiative sets rigorous standards for stroke care facilities, ensuring quality and consistency in thrombectomy services. By focusing on infrastructure and training, the program will equip healthcare systems worldwide with the tools to deliver effective, efficient and equitable stroke care.

Together, these programs form the backbone of the Mission Thrombectomy initiative, addressing the urgent need for improved stroke care access, training, and advocacy worldwide. They exemplify a comprehensive approach to tackling one of the most pressing global health challenges of our time.

Education and Advocacy: A Shared Responsibility

Public education is central to the Mission Thrombectomy Program’s efforts. Through campaigns tied to World Stroke Day and World Stroke Thrombectomy Day, the program has reached thousands with the BE FAST acronym:

• Balance issues
• Eyesight changes
• Facial drooping
• Arm weakness
• Speech difficulty
• Time to call emergency services

Clinicians are also a key focus. The program offers training and resources to healthcare providers, empowering them to integrate advanced stroke care techniques into their practices. Meanwhile, SVIN collaborates with policymakers and community leaders to advocate for better funding, improved infrastructure, and greater public awareness.

A Call to Action: Time Is Brain

David’s story serves as a painful reminder of what’s at stake—but also of what’s possible. Stroke care is not just a medical issue; it’s a community responsibility. From policymakers and healthcare providers to families and individuals, everyone has a role to play in ensuring timely and equitable access to care.

You can be part of the change. Support the Mission Thrombectomy Program by advocating for stroke education, spreading awareness in your community, or contributing to initiatives that improve access to care. Together, we can rewrite the story for stroke patients worldwide—because every second counts when it comes to saving lives.

Visit www.missionthrombectomy.org to learn more about how you can help. Time is brain. The time to act is now.

Sources

World Health Organization. (2022). Stroke and cerebrovascular diseases. Retrieved from https://www.who.int
Global Stroke Alliance. (2022). Global stroke statistics and prevention. Retrieved from https://www.globalstrokealliance.org
American Stroke Association. (2023). State of stroke care in the United States. Retrieved from https://www.stroke.org

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