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In a concerted push to curb the escalating prevalence of stroke across Nigeria, the World Stroke Organisation has teamed up with Stroke Action Nigeria, alongside the Federal Medical Centre in Onitsha, the Federal Medical Centre in Asaba, and the Asaba Specialist Hospital, to launch a four-day sensitization workshop for medical professionals and support staff in Anambra State, marking a proactive step toward tackling a growing health crisis.
The program, titled “Addressing the Rising Burden of Stroke in Nigeria,” drew over 200 attendees—ranging from doctors and nurses to allied healthcare workers—aiming to arm them with cutting-edge skills in preventing, spotting, and managing stroke cases, a mission underscored by the urgent need to bolster frontline expertise.
During the event’s kickoff on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, at the Federal Medical Centre in Onitsha, Dr. Rita Melifonwu—a World Stroke Organisation board member and the driving force behind Stroke Action Nigeria—delivered a compelling call to action, stressing the critical imperative of confronting Nigeria’s surging stroke rates head-on.
Melifonwu debunked pervasive myths linking stroke to supernatural forces like witchcraft, firmly reframing it as a tangible, lifestyle-driven medical condition—one that, with timely intervention, can be effectively controlled, challenging outdated notions with scientific clarity.
She said the training of the healthcare providers was necessary to enable them to know how, where and when to detect stroke symptoms in a patient, adding that the exercise is also part of activities marking World Stroke Day.
According to her, the World Stroke Organisation was established as part of a health information hub to educate and to create a continuous awareness campaign on the dangers of stroke disease.
She said, “Today, stroke is killing so many people worldwide. It is because of this that the seminar is organised to train healthcare givers and service providers, as there are no stroke services available in the geopolitical part of Nigeria.
“Each of us has work to do to prevent stroke in our lives and in our family. We need to know the signs of stroke and what to do when someone has a stroke.
“WSO’s mission is to deliver lives free from stroke by informing and educating the public about the disease, how to spot it, how to prevent it, and how to live the best possible life after stroke.
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“Today, stroke is the leading cause of death and disability, but evidence suggests that almost all strokes could be prevented with action on a few key risk factors.
“Despite the evidence and potential for stroke prevention over the past decade, the lifetime risk of stroke in adults over 25 years has increased from one in every six persons to one in every four persons.
“The ongoing training of healthcare workers/awareness campaign focused on bringing global attention to these new statistics as evidence of the urgent need for action at the individual and policy levels in relation to stroke prevention.”
Dr. Rita Melifonwu highlighted research indicating that one in four individuals faces a potential stroke risk, urging the public to adopt straightforward measures to safeguard against this life-threatening condition, a plea rooted in both science and urgency.
She articulated that the four-day initiative seeks to amplify the World Stroke Organisation’s global footprint, demonstrating the transformative power of collective action—proof that a unified front against stroke can yield meaningful change on a worldwide scale.
