The First International Nepalese Stroke
Conference, convened by the Nepal Stroke Association, was held on 15th December 2017 in Kathmandu, with the theme “Promoting Stroke Education, Prevention, Management and Post-stroke Care”.
The Conference attracted over 250 delegates and speakers from across the world, including: United
States, Canada, India, Australia, and United Kingdom.
The Conference provided an
overview of stroke status and management. It was a great opportunity for participants
to meet, learn and share ideas and research findings, and to discuss new
developments and techniques. In addition to conventional plenary sessions, the
conference included multiple scientific programs, interactive education
sessions and oral presentation sessions for abstracts and challenging cases.
The specific aims
of the conference were to:
• To promote stroke related research in Nepal
• To review stroke management updates
• To enhance the quality of stroke
management in Nepal
• To build national and
international partnership in stroke education, research and management.
The main topics were:
• Stroke epidemiology
• Acute stroke management
• Cryptogenic stroke
• Secondary stroke prevention
• Stroke in special populations
• Telestroke in Nepal
Dr. Basanta Panta of the Annapurna Neurological Institute and Allied Sciences delivered a plenary session on “Carotid Endarterectomy Versus Carotid Artery Stenting in Stroke”.
Webinars were also included in the programme, with Dr. Bhavya Rehani, Assistant Professor at the Department of Radiology and
Biomedical Imaging at the University of California, giving a talk on“Contributing to Stroke
Care in Nepal”, and Sarah Belson, WSO International
Development Manager, introducing participants to the work of the WSO and the
World Stroke Campaign, and the role of patient stroke support organisations in
providing long term stroke support.
Dr.
Lekh Jung Thapa from the National Institute of
Neurology and Allied Sciences
Kathmandu, and Founder
President of the Nepal Stroke Association gave a presentation on “Stroke Thrombolysis in Nepal”
Free paper sessions included the topics: Dysphagia in Patients with Acute Ischemic stroke; Stroke in Young and Depression and Anxiety in Stroke Patients.
The poster presentations included a number from staff members of the Neuro and Allied Clinic in Bhairahwa, where the stroke support organisation is based, which included insights into Quality
of Life of Stroke Patients, Telestroke, Caregivers Burden, and Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Stroke and its Risk Factors among Bachelor Level
Nursing Student of Bhairahawa, Nepal.
Congratulations to the Nepal Stroke Association on the success of this first ever International Nepalese Stroke Conference!