Key Highlights
- “The handover strengthens Assam’s emergency response system and ensures continuity of this life-saving service under state ownership,” said Ashok Babu, Secretary & Commissioner, Health and Family Welfare, Government of Assam.
- He further added that the collaboration with ICMR will enable faster treatment, better coordination, and improved outcomes for stroke patients, and provides a strong foundation for expansion.
- The World Health Organisation (WHO) identifies stroke as the second leading cause of death globally, responsible for approximately 11per cent of all deaths.
- In India, stroke ranks as the fourth leading cause of death and the fifth leading cause of disability according to a 2018 Lancet study.
- A 2024 analysis published in Scientific Reports reports these trends in Assam, where stroke incidence increased from 89 to 108 cases per 1 lakh population during the same period.
