Prof. Valeria Caso, President of the European Stroke Organisation (ESO), explains the goals of the NGO and the importance of putting stroke as a high priority of the EU-health policies.

Across Europe, stroke accounts for over 1 million deaths each year. The risk of death due to stroke varies substantially between countries, and is more than three times higher in Central and Eastern Europe than in Northern, Southern and Western Europe. Currently stroke is one of the highest burden disease in Europe, so patients need to go to dedicated stroke units and need to be treated by the right specialist. The neurological societies need to put stroke as the first point of the agenda, because it is the most time-depending disease in Europe. What neurologist have to know, is that stroke is absolutely emergency, needs very structured pathways to ensure full-time recovery – from recognition to treatment, rehabilitation and admission back home.

The vision of the European Stroke Organisation (ESO) is to serve as the voice of stroke in Europe, coordinating stroke management across the whole of Europe, and taking action to reduce the burden of stroke regionally and globally.

The aim of the ESO is to reduce burden of stroke by changing the way that stroke is viewed and treated. This can only be achieved by professional and public education, and by making institutional changes. ESO is working together with patient organizations, neuroradiologists, cardiologists and all kind of specialists, who are involved in the stroke care. The ESO has the opportunity to involve national organizations, which can apply to be an associated member of the ESO. This gives the opportunity for the national members to know about European stroke unit, to receive the journal, to attend the educational activities, which are vast in form (winter school, summer school, conferences etc.).

Currently the ESO is working together with the SAFE (Stroke Alliance for Europe) to put stroke as a high priority within the European Union. They hope also to involve the national societies to put stroke at the top of the agenda.

About the European Stroke Organisation (ESO)

The European Stroke Organisation (ESO) is a pan-European society of stroke researchers and physicians, national and regional stroke societies and lay organisations that was founded in December 2007. The ESO is an NGO comprised of individual and organisational members.

Learn more about the activities of the ESO from our video-interview with Prof. Valeria Caso, President of the ESO!