site.btaCardiovascular, Cerebrovascular Diseases Make Up 59.8% of Deaths in Bulgaria in 2023

Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases account for a total of 59.8% of deaths in Bulgaria in 2023, the Ministry of Health said on May 14, European Stroke Awareness Day. 

In Bulgaria, one person has a stroke every ten minutes, according to Assoc. Prof. Rosen Kalpachki, Head of the Neurology Clinic at the St. Anna hospital during a discussion titled "Stroke: a look inside the black box". The event was organized by the Association for Stroke and Aphasia, in partnership with the Bulgarian Stroke Organization. Stroke is the most common cause of death in the world, and every year in Europe 800,000 people have a stroke, Kalpachki said.

Nearly 50,000 people had a stroke in Bulgaria in 2023, and more than 5,500 of them died in hospital, the doctor added. According to him, the big problem lies in the fact that at least half of stroke survivors discharged from hospital die within a year.

Stroke is treatable, Kalpachki added. He pointed out that in this country therapy is free. When a stroke is suspected, one should act quickly, urgency being the main factor, as when a stroke occurs, the patient is the last to know, or if he does, he has no way to tell others.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one in four adults is at risk of stroke, the Health Ministry said. It can be deadly or debilitating, changing not only the life of the victim but also that of their loved ones. People affected by stroke live with its consequences - health, social, and financial. It is therefore important to know that stroke is preventable and treatable, and its severity, including its long-term consequences, can be reduced. 

In Bulgaria, an average of 4,000 people have a stroke every month, according to the report. Therefore, with a declaration signed in 2021 at the Ministry of Health, this country joined the European Union's efforts to take measures aimed at achieving four major goals by 2030. To reduce the number of strokes by 10%; to ensure that more than 90% of stroke patients receive prompt and adequate treatment in specialized hospital units; to implement a national stroke policy that covers the entire chain of medical action and care, from primary prevention to life after stroke; and to create policies to encourage the population to live a healthy lifestyle. 

Measures for each of the objectives and in fulfilment of the commitments made are set out in the National Health Strategy 2030. 

Another major focus is ensuring access to modern diagnostics and treatment in specialized stroke treatment facilities, and to personalized rehabilitation and secondary prevention. To this end, the Ministry is working on the establishment of a national network of high-tech cerebrovascular diagnostic and treatment centres - "stroke centres" - throughout the country. The establishment of this network will be supported through the funding mechanisms of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

The Health Ministry will continue to implement and support initiatives of the Bulgarian scientific societies to raise awareness of stroke prevention and prophylaxis, symptoms and the need for rapid response.