MT2020+ Launches the #BEFASTchallenge to Raise Public Stroke Awareness

The viral social media effort will illustrate stroke symptom recognition, the timeliness to seek help and raise money

WASHINGTON, May 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mission Thrombectomy 2020+ (MT2020+), a global initiative of the Society of Vascular and Interventional Neurology (SVIN), has created a worldwide dance challenge to raise awareness of stroke symptoms and the importance of seeking immediate care. The dance challenge involves creating a 15-30 second dance video while enacting the BEFAST stroke symptoms. Participants post these videos to their social media accounts using the hashtag #BEFASTchallenge. Healthcare professionals will kick off the challenge and call upon others to join. The #BEFASTchallenge begins on World Thrombectomy Day, May 15, and runs through May 15, 2023.

The acronym BEFAST stands for the warning signs of a stroke:

• (B) Balance
• (E) Eyes - vision problems
• (F) Face drooping
• (A) Arm (or leg) numbness
• (S) Speech problems
• (T) Timeliness in seeking help - call 911 immediately

"We're taking a collaborative social approach this year to pass along critical information about stroke. This is a creative, memorable and much needed global effort to raise awareness that stroke is curable and reversible if emergency treatment is sought within 24 hours," said Dileep Yavagal, MD, MT2020 Global Chair and Past-President of SVIN.

Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability globally. It affects about 13 million people each year worldwide. A disproportionate number of people in low and middle income countries experience strokes as compared to the rest of the world. They also have the least access to emergency curative stroke treatment, thrombectomy and clot busting medication, thrombolysis. A lack of awareness to seek help and an unfamiliarity with stroke symptoms are significant hurdles to treatment that exist in all countries. 

Some data about strokes:

• 1 in 4 adults over the age of 25 will have a stroke
• 6.6 million of the world population die from a stroke each year based on the most recent global data
• Under 10 percent of stroke patients get established curative treatment, leaving most with a permanent disability
• 2 out of every 3 people who suffer from a stroke live in low and middle income countries
• A median of only 2.76% of stroke victims have access to thrombectomy globally, based on a recent global survey by MT2020+

Thrombectomy treatment is an emergency cure for certain disabling large artery strokes. But it must be administered within 24 hours of the onset of stroke symptoms. The procedure reverses long-term stroke paralysis in close to half of most eligible large artery stroke patients. It has also proven to save lives. Access to Thrombectomy in low income countries is under 1%. However, even in middle and high income countries, it remains well under 50% on average. Better public education and increased access to curative stroke treatment has the potential to save millions from dying or lifelong disability. Donations from the #BEFASTchallenge will support these initiatives. To make a donation, please visit the MT2020+ website.

About MT2020+
MT2020+ was founded in 2016 as a global initiative by the Society of Vascular and Interventional Neurology (SVIN). Its mission is to double access to thrombectomy treatment every two years in every country  around the world using public policy and advocacy. MT2020+ is organized as a peer-network of volunteer  committees led by stroke and neurointerventional experts in over 100 countries. MT2020+ is committed to speeding up the availability of stroke treatment and reducing stroke death and disability globally. For further information about MT2020+, please visit www.missionthrombectomy2020.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

About SVIN
The Society of Vascular and Interventional Neurology aims to provide opportunities to connect leaders in the field and provide a common ground for dialogue and creation of practice and safety standards. The society's  mission is to represent the advancement of interventional neurology as a field with the ultimate goal of improving clinical care and outcomes of patients with stroke and cerebrovascular diseases. For further information about SVIN, please visit www.svin.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn.

For more information about MT2020+, contact Dileep Yavagal at [email protected]

SOURCE Society of Vascular and Interventional Neurology