Being active & adopting regular exercise a person can reduce stroke risks by 25%
OdishaPlus Bureau
Brain stroke, generally called as ‘stroke’, is rising as a significant public health challenge worldwide. However, by adopting a modifiable lifestyle, we can reduce the burden of stroke thus, addressing the increasing number of death and disability. Being active & adopting regular exercise a person can reduce stroke risks by 25%, highlights World Stroke Organisation.
On the occasion of World Stroke Day 2024, IFI Foundation a non-profit & a member of World Stroke Organisation, in collaboration with Swasthya Plus Network & OdishaLIVE, has launched a 10-day campaign on prevention & management of stroke. The program, titled ‘Stroke Mukta Jeebana’, planned for the second consecutive year by the foundation, is scheduled from October 29 to November 7, spreading across multiple web & social channels.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) over 15 million people suffer stroke each year globally. Of these, 5 million die and another 5 million are left permanently disabled, which places a substantial burden on families and communities. Moreover, due to modern lifestyle & various other factors today stroke impacts the youth population causing further concern.
“Our campaign will directly reach out to millions of people on web & social media through videos & other forms of content. We will also engage the youth through a number of programs involving mass communication students of various universities of the state. By making the young minds aware on this silent killer, we prepare them for the future to spot strokes & save lives. Moreover, as the journalists of tomorrow they can also spread the message through various media channels amplifying the public health objectives,” says Sidharth Rath, Campaign Director & Executive Director, IFI Foundation.
“Under the initiative a series of informational videos covering interviews of reputed doctors along with a newsletter featuring the symptoms, treatment & post-stroke management is planned to optimize the campaign,” adds Mr Rath who is also the CEO of Swasthya Plus Network.
“In India, a person suffers from stroke every 40 seconds and someone dies every 4 minutes. The incidence of strokes and related deaths is also high in Odisha. Due to changing lifestyles, the prevalence of various non-communicable diseases, including strokes, has been on the rise. It is a need to create wide awareness on this issue, ” says Dr. Subhransu Shekhar Jena, Campaign Advisor & a senior neurologist.
IFI Foundation is building a coalition of clinical & non-clinical stakeholders to coordinate comprehensive actions for improving stroke prevention, response and post-stroke care. The campaign is chaired by Nilambar Rath, Editor OdishaLIVE. Apollo Hospitals Bhubaneswar has joined as an associate partner of the public health initiative.
