Freno al Ictus and the Alberto Contador Foundation sign an agreement to bring the disease to light
The Freno al Ictus Association and the Fundación Alberto Contador have signed a collaboration agreement to raise awareness of stroke among the population, as the only effective way to prevent and reduce the impact of the disease. Both institutions also aim to ensure that the National Health System (NHS) is provided with more resources for both emergency care and subsequent rehabilitation of affected patients, and that education programmes are carried out in schools.
The president of Freno al Ictus, Julio Agredano, stressed the importance of giving visibility and reinforcing the information and participation of society as active elements in putting a stop to stroke. An objective, he said, “that is part of the essence of our Association”. “This agreement between Fundación Contador and Freno al Ictus pursues this goal, we will carry out awareness campaigns about the disease in schools and companies. In short, we seek to reduce the personal, family and social drama that the disease represents in our environment”, he said.
For his part, the triple winner of the Vuelta a España, after whom the Foundation is named, explained that “the agreement will serve to highlight sport as the best possible prevention tool to give visibility to a disease that is still very much hidden and must be brought to light”.
Stroke is the second cause of death in Spain (the first in women), the first cause of acquired disability in adults and the second cause of dementia. According to data from the Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN), every year 110,000-120,000 people suffer a stroke in our country, of which 50% suffer disabling sequelae or die. Currently, more than 330,000 people have suffered a stroke. 90% of stroke cases could be avoided with proper prevention of risk factors and a healthy lifestyle.
Freno al Ictus is a national non-profit association that was created with the aim of informing, making visible, sensitising and raising awareness through its actions, projects and activities for the prevention of stroke, as well as to help improve the quality of life of those affected by ACD (Acquired Brain Injury) and their families. The different initiatives developed by Freno al Ictus are framed within the ‘Brain Caring People’ line of action. The Association regularly collaborates on projects with the Spanish Neurology Society (SEN), the Brain Foundation and the Cerebrovascular Diseases Study Group of the SEN. In 2015, the SEN awarded Freno al Ictus the Ictus Award in the social category for the dissemination of the disease.
