Nepal Stroke Project

Stroke is one of Nepal’s heaviest health burdens and is not only the third leading cause of death in Nepal, but also associated with a drastic reduction in quality of life! Still, most people in Nepal have limited access to adequate stroke care and the awareness about stroke is low. The Nepal Stroke Association is setting up the first nationwide initiative to provide basic stroke care for everyone by strengthening existing structures. The project is implemented in close collaboration with scientists from the University Hospital Heidelberg (Germany) and the Angels’ Initiative. It is supported by the World Stroke Organization and the Ministry of Health and Population (Nepal). As part of the nationwide project approximately 15 district hospitals and tertiary care centers are selected to become stroke ready hospitals through intensive training of health personnel and implementation of treatment standards. The population’s consciousness of the prevention, symptoms and treatment of strokes will be raised by public awareness campaigns. Treatment data of all stroke ready hospitals will be collected in the RES-Q register to continuously monitor, evaluate and improve stroke care. The project is initially designed for a duration of two years. The project is supported by Hospital Partnerships funding program of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and financed by the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Else Kröner-Fresenius foundation (EKFS).