The Stroke Survivors Foundation

“ There are 15 million people worldwide who suffer a stroke each year.  According to the World Health Organization (WHO), stroke is the second leading cause of death for people above the age of 60 years, and the fifth leading cause in people aged 15 to 59 years old.  Each year, nearly six million people worldwide die from stroke. One in six people worldwide will have a stroke in their lifetime. Stroke claims more than twice as many lives as AIDS.  In fact, stroke continues to be responsible for more deaths annually than those attributed to AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined. The burden of stroke now disproportionately affects individuals living in resource-poor countries. “

In South Africa, it is roughly estimated that 150 000 people suffer a stroke in South Africa annually. According to the SA mortality data (2014) stroke is the leading non-communicable cause of death and the leading cause of disability in our country. It is often perceived that strokes only occur in the elderly, but international data indicates that approximately  25% of people who suffer a stroke are of economically active age and approximately 2.5% are below the age of 30.