Singapore, 17 July 2024 – The World Stroke Organization (WSO) and SingHealth today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance efforts to develop best-in-class stroke care across Southeast Asia.
The MoU aims to launch clinical service development, research, education, and advocacy initiatives focused on training and sharing best practices with hospitals in Southeast Asia, thereby improving the number and quality of certified stroke centres in the region.
Southeast Asia faces a particularly high incidence of stroke, and affects, on average, 1,300 people in every 100,000.[1] Despite this significant stroke burden, the access for patients in Asia to acute stroke care is limited, with access varying across different countries.[2] This highlights a substantial gap in the availability of stroke care services. In Singapore, there are 9,000 new stroke cases annually. It is the leading cause of adult disability and the fourth leading cause of death in Singapore.[3]
As an international organisation, WSO is committed to improving stroke care globally through the Angels Initiative, a unique healthcare initiative supported by Boehringer Ingelheim, that helps hospitals around the world and the Southeast Asia region, to enhance their stroke management practices.
Today, it presented Singapore General Hospital (SGH) with the WSO Angels Award for its excellent stroke care and to honour the hospital for going above and beyond in the care of its patients. SGH is the first hospital in Singapore to receive the award, given based on performance of efficiency measures such as duration to start critical treatments and access to specific care in stroke units. SGH is a member of SingHealth, Singapore's largest public healthcare cluster.
"The WSO Angels Award recognises healthcare institutions that have demonstrated a strong commitment to quality improvement and the implementation of best practices in stroke care," said Professor Jeyaraj Pandian, WSO President-Elect. "SGH is a shining example of what can be achieved to improve the clinical outcomes for patients when a hospital prioritises stroke care excellence."
The award is presented in conjunction with an in-person Angels' preceptorship programme involving over 40 stroke care experts from the ASEAN region who have gathered to learn about SGH's processes in stroke management and participate in stroke patient pathway walk-through at the SGH stroke ward and Outram Community Hospital. Hosted by the SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute (SDGHI), the programme is part of Angels' capacity-building initiative, which brings together global and regional stroke care experts to exchange best practices.
"We are delighted to see SGH receive this well-deserved recognition," said Sylvia Kang, Regional Stroke Care Programme Lead, Boehringer Ingelheim. "SGH is regarded as one of the world's best hospitals and this achievement serves as an inspiration to other hospitals in the region as we work together to improve stroke outcomes and save more lives."
"We are proud to receive recognition for our Stroke Programme, as the multidisciplinary team constantly works together to improve patient-centric care pathways for stroke patients. With the upcoming SGH Emergency Medicine/National Neuroscience Institute (NNI) building, specialised teams and facilities are brought even closer to further enhance treatment and provide faster access to care to optimise outcomes for acute stroke patients," shared Associate Professor Prakash Kumar Manharlal, Head and Senior Consultant, Department of Neurology, NNI@SGH.
The coordination and collaboration between diverse healthcare professionals are essential for providing comprehensive, high-quality stroke care and optimising outcomes for stroke survivors. As an enabling platform for global health activities across the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre (AMC), SDGHI harnesses the strengths and expertise across the AMC to address current and emerging health challenges in Asia and beyond, including burdens of stroke.
Clinical Associate Professor Tan Hiang Khoon, Director, SDGHI, said, "Timely access to quality stroke care and rehabilitation is vital for patients to survive and recover their daily abilities. SDGHI is committed to improving regional healthcare by leveraging our clinical experts to make lasting enhancements in healthcare including stroke care, in Singapore and the region."
"The partnership between SingHealth and WSO, with support programmes such as those from Angels Initiative is an important endeavour to improve stroke care in the Southeast Asian region. There is much potential to reduce death and disability from stroke as well as the stroke care journey for patients, through efforts such as stroke centre development and certification, as well as sharing of best practices across the region," said Associate Professor Deidre De Silva, Secretary, WSO and Senior Consultant, Department of Neurology, NNI.
[1] GBD 2019 Stroke Collaborators (2021). Global, regional, and national burden of stroke and its risk factors, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Lancet Neurology, 20(10), 795–820. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1474-4422(21)00252-0 (Last accessed: 10 July 2024)
[2] Ivy A Sebastian, Dorcas B.C. Gandhi, et al., Stroke systems of care in South-East Asia Region (SEAR): commonalities and diversities. The Lancet Regional Health – Southeast Asia 2023;17: 100289. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lansea.2023.100289. (Last accessed: 10 July 2024)
[3] Ministry of Health Singapore. Principal causes of death. (n.d.). Ministry of Health website. https://www.moh.gov.sg/resources-statistics/singapore-health-facts/principal-causes-of-death (Last accessed: 10 July 2024)
