Stroke prevention strategy needs overhaul

Stroke prevention strategy needs overhaul

The case for government intervention and a regulatory approach to reduce the incidence of stroke in New Zealand is urgent, says the Stroke Foundation. It echoes the view of AUT’s Professor Valery Feigin, speaking this morning on Radio New Zealand National, who said that the existing stroke prevention strategy was failing.

Professor Feigin observed that the existing stroke prevention strategy in New Zealand was not working. Putting the onus of making the necessary lifestyle changes in diet and exercise on individuals is never going to be sufficient. What is required is a population-wide strategy combining encouragement to make lifestyle changes with government-led action on public health regulation.

Stroke Foundation Chief Executive Mark Vivian said: ‘The Stroke Foundation agrees that governments can no longer continue placing all the responsibility for lifestyle change on the individual. Support for such change must come from changing the health environment. Significant engagement with the food industry and continued public health reform cannot be avoided if there is to be a reversal of the increasing burden of stroke in New Zealand.’

The Stroke Foundation has long argued that there needs to be a regulatory approach across several fields to discourage harmful behaviour: continued increases in tobacco taxation; increases in alcohol taxation; regulation of the sugar, salt and fat content of food products. ‘Together with the promotion of healthy foods and regular exercise we can turn the tide that has seen the number of stroke survivors double every 20 years – up to three-quarters of whom have some form of disability,’ said Mark Vivian.

‘The government’s recent obesity strategy claimed to be the product of expert consultation. Professor Feigin is a world-renowned expert in the field of stroke and the government cannot ignore his voice raised in support of concerted strategic intervention to reduce the risk of stroke for their citizens.’

ENDS

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