Say no 2 Stroke: A clinical and social campaign

Stroke (puplesija), a medical condition of the brain, has been recognised for millennia. Thankfully, recent advances in medical and social care reduced the burden of its debilitating consequences. However, it remains a condition that can kill and maim. In Malta, every year some 400 persons receive treatment for a new stroke.

One of the key policies of the Ministry for Active Ageing is to foster strategies that promote healthy and independent ageing. For this reason, we are launching a pilot stroke prevention campaign to identify and address the risk factors which trigger this disease. Our aim is that in due course, this initiative (and others like it) will form part of the backbone of our national strategy for healthy ageing, hence reducing disability that requires high dependency care.

Obviously, the brain is a vital organ. It is as delicate as firm jelly. That is why it is protected by the hard shell of the bony skull; a mixed blessing as it is superbly resistant to trauma, but so unyielding that any form of swelling of the brain can spell disaster. Without prompt medical and surgical relief, any form of brain swelling can be rapidly fatal. 

Allow us to give a quick rundown of...