Every 6.5 minutes someone in Poland suffers a stroke. For fear of contracting coronavirus or for fear of difficult access to hospitals and doctors, many people ignore symptoms in an attempt to wait it out. This is a misconception that leads to irreversible health consequences. The situation is also exacerbated by insufficient knowledge and lack of skills to recognise the symptoms of a stroke, which all family members, including children, should know.
In response to this problem, a unique programme aimed at preschoolers and pupils in grades 1-3which was launched at the beginning of March in schools and kindergartens throughout Poland as part of the Polish edition of the international educational campaign FAST Heroes 112. More than 250 educational establishments and nearly 11,000 children across the country were enrolled!
The programme was positively opinioned by experts, including Professor Adam Kobayashi, President-elect of the Section for Vascular Diseases of the Polish Neurological Society, who supports educational activities aimed at young children. – Even children as young as a few years old can learn to recognise the symptoms of a stroke and react swiftly in life-threatening situations for their loved ones. This is an extremely grateful audience, who absorb knowledge like sponges, are curious about the world and easily pick up new information. What is more, they have a natural urge to help. I believe that by educating children, we are educating society as a whole, and we still have a long way to go in raising awareness of stroke. We are delighted that so many schools and kindergartens have enthusiastically responded to the appeal and declared their participation in the programme - claims Professor Kobayashi.
We invite you to read the press release:
Stroke - education needed from an early age_ press release from FAST Heroes