KARACHI: Health experts on Tuesday warned that stroke is rapidly emerging as one of the country’s gravest public health challenges, with around 350,000 people suffering a stroke every year and nearly 100,000 dying annually, making it the country’s second leading cause of death after ischemic heart disease.
They said an estimated 4.8 percent of Pakistan’s population around 9.1 million people is living with stroke, while the lifetime risk remains alarmingly high, affecting one in four men and one in three women. Experts stressed that the growing burden of stroke, coupled with a severe shortage of neurologists and inadequate treatment facilities, demands urgent investment in prevention, early diagnosis, specialist training, and dedicated stroke care services.
These concerns were highlighted during a ceremony where the Pakistan Stroke Society (PSS) and PharmEvo signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch Leaders’ Track Neurology 2.0, a nationwide academic initiative aimed at strengthening stroke care through the training of young neurologists and postgraduate physicians.
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Speaking on the occasion, Pakistan Stroke Society President Dr. Abdul Malik said that despite Pakistan’s population exceeding 250 million, the country has only 250 to 260 neurologists, with several practising overseas, leaving more than one million people for every neurologist.
He said Pakistan records approximately 350,000 new stroke cases every year, resulting in nearly 100,000 deaths annually. Stroke claimed an estimated 99,759 lives in 2021, making it the second leading cause of death in the country after ischemic heart disease. He emphasized that strengthening prevention strategies, improving early diagnosis, establishing dedicated stroke units, and expanding specialist training are essential to reducing stroke-related deaths and disability.
PSS Secretary General Dr. Shafiq Saleem said the burden of stroke is increasingly affecting younger Pakistanis, creating serious social and economic consequences for families. He said the society’s strategy extends beyond hospital-based treatment to include prevention, public awareness, early diagnosis, and improved access to quality care.
He added that the society is promoting digital health and telemedicine while training general physicians and frontline healthcare workers so that patients in underserved areas can receive expert neurological guidance even where specialists are unavailable.
Highlighting the situation in Sindh, PSS Vice President (Sindh) and neurologist at Civil Hospital Karachi, Dr. Jai Singh Rana said many district hospitals still lack dedicated stroke units as well as CT scan and MRI facilities, forcing patients to travel to Karachi or Hyderabad and losing precious treatment time.
He said stroke units are currently operational at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Civil Hospital Karachi, and Hyderabad, while similar facilities are being developed in Sukkur and Chandka Medical College. However, he stressed that district-level hospitals across Sindh require stroke units, modern diagnostic equipment, and trained personnel. He also called for expanding telemedicine services, particularly in remote districts such as Tharparkar.
Dr. Rana urged the public to seek immediate medical attention within the 4.5-hour golden treatment window, noting that timely treatment can prevent permanent disability. He also discouraged reliance on traditional healers and unscientific remedies.
Under the MoU, Leaders’ Track Neurology 2.0 will be conducted across 16 cities over the next 18 months, culminating in a grand finale in October 2027. The programme will enable postgraduate trainees to present complex stroke cases before senior neurologists, strengthening their clinical reasoning, research, communication, and evidence-based decision-making skills.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, PharmEvo Commercial Director Abdul Samad said the company remains committed to advancing medical education and clinical excellence in Pakistan. He said the initiative would expose young neurologists to international standards of stroke management through academic exchange and case-based learning.
He added that PharmEvo will provide nationwide logistical, technical, audiovisual, and organizational support for the programme and sponsor cash awards of Rs100,000, Rs75,000, and Rs50,000 for the best case presentations. He said the partnership aims to strengthen Pakistan’s stroke care system, improve physicians’ clinical capacity, and ultimately reduce stroke-related deaths and long-term disability across the country.