September 10, 2024
- Joint policy paper provides recommendations for effective
policymaking and investments in stroke centers with specialized
treatments to improve health outcomes and reduce costs
- Timely access to mechanical thrombectomy – a proven minimally
invasive therapy to remove the blood clot that caused the stroke –
has the potential to revolutionize treatment for major ischemic
strokes, but the procedure remains the exception rather than the
norm
Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG,
AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, and the World
Stroke Organization (WSO), the world’s only global non-governmental
organization focused on stroke, today published a policy paper
calling for a revolution in stroke care to make a real difference
to the lives of millions and bring significant economic benefits
worldwide.
A stroke is typically an acute event, mostly caused by a
blockage in a blood vessel in the brain that prevents adequate
blood supply to brain tissue and leads to permanent loss of brain
cells. It is a leading cause of disability and death worldwide,
affecting an estimated 12 million people globally every year,
including an increasing number of young people. The direct and
indirect costs are conservatively estimated to be around USD 900
billion annually and are expected to almost double over the next 25
years.
Thanks to new technologies, procedures and clinical insights,
stroke may be prevented, treated and even reversed if treatment is
initiated rapidly. However, despite a strong evidence base, there
is insufficient focus on healthcare expenditure and research
funding to advance stroke care. As a result, access to timely
treatment remains limited and huge disparities in stroke care
persist.
The joint WSO-Philips policy paper, which is accompanied by an
editorial in The Lancet Neurology and aligned with recent World
Health Organization (WHO) guidance, proposes six policy
interventions to improve outcomes, and reduce direct costs with
substantial potential savings, releasing essential resources for
other priorities across struggling healthcare systems:
1. Set targets and quality
indicators, assess current gaps and prioritize stroke care in
global, national, and regional health plans.
2. Expand and invest in
infrastructures for essential stroke services, including stroke
units and intravenous
thrombolysis.*3. Expand and invest in
(capital) infrastructures for advanced stroke services: mechanical
thrombectomy.**4. Increase the
necessary skills in the health
workforce.5. Make sure that payment
models provide adequate reimbursement of essential and advanced
stroke care. 6. Build a strategy to
actualize the potential savings of essential and advanced acute
stroke care.
The joint WSO-Philips policy paper entitled ‘Time for a
revolution in stroke care’ can be downloaded here.
‘Time is brain’ is the mantra in stroke care, because every
minute saved when treating a major stroke results in millions of
saved brain cells. Investing in stroke centers and WHO recommended
treatments including mechanical thrombectomy, a minimally invasive
technique for removing the blood clot from the brain artery that
caused the stroke, has the potential to improve hundreds of
thousands of lives. Clinical trials show that mechanical
thrombectomy is a highly effective treatment for the most
debilitating strokes, and if treated in time, the impact is such
that major strokes have become ‘curable’.
Yet, access to thrombectomy remains the exception rather than
the norm in global stroke care. For example, an average of around
7% of all ischemic stroke patients in the Europe region received
this treatment in 2019. Policymakers have a crucial opportunity to
accelerate the rollout of this essential, advanced stroke care
alongside the necessary associated infrastructure and policy to
support.
Professor Sheila Martins, President of the World Stroke
Organization, said: “The impact of thrombolysis and
thrombectomy on stroke patient outcomes has been established for
more than a decade. More recent research has also demonstrated the
cost-effectiveness of these treatments in low-income, middle-income
and high-income countries. Investing in acute stroke care provides
governments with an unmissable opportunity to reduce the burden of
stroke to individuals and society and to deliver on their UN SDG3
commitment. The time to act is now.”
Carla Goulart Peron, Philips’ Chief Medical Officer, said:
“Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. The
burden of stroke on patients, their families, the healthcare
system, and society, is huge. The time is now for a coordinated
approach to revolutionize stroke care, bringing together investment
in care and treatment, infrastructure, awareness and a focus on
effective policymaking. The benefits are significant, both for
healthcare systems and societies, and most importantly in
delivering better care for millions of patients worldwide.”
Philips and the WSO signed a two-year partnership in October
2023 focused on advocacy, education, and raising awareness of
stroke as a global healthcare challenge. In May of this year,
Philips supported the WSO side-event at the 77th World Health
Assembly (WHA) entitled United in Action to Transform Stroke Care,
which was the first ever WHA satellite session dedicated
specifically to stroke.
* In an essential stroke center, acute stroke
care is provided by a multidisciplinary team working according to
acute stroke care protocols. This includes intravenous
thrombolysis, the injection of medication to dissolve the blood
clot that caused the stroke. This is the current most common acute
stroke treatment.** An advanced stroke center offers all the
services provided at essential stroke centers plus mechanical
thrombectomy, a minimally invasive therapy for removing the blood
clot that caused the stroke.
For further information, please contact:
Joost MalthaPhilips External RelationsTel: +31 6 10558116
Email: joost.maltha@philips.com
About Royal Philips
Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health
technology company focused on improving people's health and
well-being through meaningful innovation. Philips’ patient- and
people-centric innovation leverages advanced technology and deep
clinical and consumer insights to deliver personal health solutions
for consumers and professional health solutions for healthcare
providers and their patients in the hospital and the home.
Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in
diagnostic imaging, ultrasound, image-guided therapy, monitoring
and enterprise informatics, as well as in personal health. Philips
generated 2023 sales of EUR 18.2 billion and employs approximately
68,700 employees with sales and services in more than 100
countries. News about Philips can be found at
www.philips.com/newscenter.
About the World Stroke OrganizationThe World Stroke
Organization (WSO) is the world’s only global NGO with a sole focus
on stroke. It is committed to reducing the global burden of stroke
through advancing access to effective prevention, treatment,
rehabilitation, and support. WSO is a membership organization and
represents over 50,000 stroke experts in every global region. WSO’s
100 Society Members represent international, regional and national
scientific, medical and survivor organizations. WSO has United
Nations ECOSOC accreditation and is in official relations with the
World Health Organization (WHO). WSO works with its members and
stakeholders to reduce the global burden of stroke, providing
technical support and driving engagement of key decision-makers to
advance implementation of effective systems of care.
Koninklijke Philips NV (NYSE:PHG)
Historical Stock Chart
From Oct 2024 to Nov 2024
Koninklijke Philips NV (NYSE:PHG)
Historical Stock Chart
From Nov 2023 to Nov 2024
