Leading by Example: Angels Initiative Recognized for Improving Access to Stroke Care 

Boehringer Ingelheim’s Angels Initiative has expanded the access to critical stroke care in over 120 countries across the globe, including many low- and middle-income countries. This effort has now been recognized by the Access to Medicine Initiative as a Best Practice example for others to follow. 

“To be featured in the ATM Index report is an appreciation of all the thousands of doctors and nurses, the European Stroke Association, the World Stroke Association, as well as patient organizations and all the companies partnering and cooperating with the Angels Initiative to improve stroke care,” explains Waheed Jamal, Head of Cardiovascular, Metabolic and Respiratory Medicine at Boehringer Ingelheim. “Together with these stakeholders the Angels Initiative created a strong community to give stroke patients a second chance at life.”

One in four adults will have a stroke, with stroke being the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. 70% of strokes and nearly 90% of stroke-related deaths and disability-adjusted life years occur in low- and middle-income countries. During the pandemic, the Angels Initiative together with the World Stroke Organization is spreading the message #strokedontstayathome, as it is just as important to receive care for stroke symptoms during the global pandemic as it was before. The Angels Initiative builds up stroke care infrastructure through optimized stroke units and “stroke-ready” hospitals, helping to reduce treatment delays. In stroke care – as they say – time is brain. A fast and correct treatment can prevent disability and death. Since 2018, Angels expanded into Armenia, Cambodia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Kenya, Paraguay, Uzbekistan and Vietnam, improving stroke care. Overall, the initiative has reached over 46,000 healthcare professionals treating an estimated 2.3 million patients per year in registered hospitals and is dedicated to increase these numbers every day.