Your support can help save lives.
Please email us or Donate via Zelle info@pakistanstroke.com
Every year, thousands of individuals face the challenges of disability and chronic illness. Our mission is to support them in living better, healthier lives by providing comprehensive stroke and rehabilitation services.
We stand with those in pain — whether physical or emotional — and strive to bring ease and dignity back into their lives.
The Pakistan Stroke Initiative was founded with a vision to combat the rising burden of stroke in Pakistan through awareness, prevention, early diagnosis, and advanced treatment strategies.
Stroke is one of the leading causes of disability and death in Pakistan, yet public awareness and access to treatment options have historically remained limited. Realizing this gap, the Pakistan Stroke Society was established to bring stroke care to the forefront of healthcare discussions and systems.
What started as a small group of passionate neurologists and healthcare professionals has now grown into a nationwide movement focused on improving stroke care infrastructure, training, and public outreach.
We aim to improve public awareness of stroke & provide support for the development of stroke treatments & stroke physicians.
We provide stroke seminars to physicians and allies, improve access to thrombolytic therapy for stroke, promote stroke awareness & research, and help develop center-specific stroke solutions
Stroke can be a reversible condition if treated early and has poor awareness in Pakistan. Comprehensive stroke treatment is only available at a select few hospitals in Pakistan - this means stroke recovery is often not possible only because of a lack of access to a stroke-ready hospital nearby.
With early intervention, many stroke symptoms can be reversed, and recovery is more likely.
For ischemic strokes, caused by a blocked blood vessel in the brain, tPA (tissue plasminogen activator) is used to dissolve the clot and restore blood flow.
In more severe ischemic strokes, particularly those caused by large artery blockages, a mechanical thrombectomy may be performed.
For hemorrhagic strokes, which involve bleeding in the brain, surgery may be required to relieve pressure and prevent further damage.
We are excited to announce the creation of Karachi's first Comprehensive Stroke Center. This facility will bring the highest level of stroke care to the region, offering advanced diagnostic testing, neurosurgical services, and neurointerventional procedures to treat complex cases. By establishing this center, we aim to save countless lives and improve patient outcomes for individuals suffering from strokes in Pakistan.
One of the key components of our stroke center is the Neuroangiography biplane suite. This advanced imaging system enables precise diagnosis and treatment of stroke and brain aneurysms. However, the cost of this technology is substantial, with a single biplane suite costing millions of dollars. Your support will directly contribute to acquiring this life-saving technology and ensuring better stroke treatment for thousands.
Equip local doctors with the skills need to perform critical procedures, such as mechanical thrombectomy for ischemic stroke and aneurysm coiling for subarachnoid hemorrhage
Pakistan Stroke Society played a key role in the development of the Mechanical Thrombectomy Program at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) - a groundbreaking step in offering life-saving stroke interventions within critical time windows.
With continuous advocacy and collaboration, dedicated stroke units have been set up in several major public and private hospitals, enabling structured and rapid response stroke care for patients.
The Society has launched multiple awareness initiatives across the country, including stroke awareness walks, seminars, and media campaigns focusing on the FAST (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) recognition model. Watch our Stroke Awareness video
https://www.youtube.com/@PakistanStroke
Pakistan Stroke Initiative Society played a key role in the development of the Mechanical Thrombectomy Program at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) – a groundbreaking step in offering life-saving stroke interventions within critical time windows.
With continuous advocacy and collaboration, dedicated stroke units have been set up in several major public and private hospitals, enabling structured and rapid response stroke care for patients.
The Society has launched multiple awareness initiatives across the country, including stroke awareness walks, seminars, and media campaigns focusing on the FAST (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) recognition model. Watch our Stroke Awareness video
The Pakistan Stroke Initiative was founded with a vision to combat the rising burden of stroke in Pakistan through awareness, prevention, early diagnosis, and advanced treatment strategies.
Stroke is one of the leading causes of disability and death in Pakistan, yet public awareness and access to treatment options have historically remained limited. Realizing this gap, the Pakistan Stroke Society was established to bring stroke care to the forefront of healthcare discussions and systems.
What started as a small group of passionate neurologists and healthcare professionals has now grown into a nationwide movement focused on improving stroke care infrastructure, training, and public outreach.
When blood flow is blocked or interrupted, brain cells begin to die, and every minute counts. The faster you receive treatment, the more brain tissue can be saved.
If you or someone you know is experiencing these symptoms, do not wait. Call your local emergency services immediately.
A resident of Larkana Singh until recently was a typical 14-year-old teenage girl in grade 7 who enjoyed listening to Bollywood music and playing with her siblings.
Last month, her world changed. She suddenly developed an intense severe headache, the worst imaginable. Throughout the day, she became tired, lethargic, and couldn’t keep anything down. Her parents, a poor laborer and homemaker, took her to the local district hospital, and a CT scan of the head confirmed bleeding in the brain due to a ruptured brain aneurysm.
When it comes to stroke treatment, don’t wait to make a difference
Thousands of stroke patients in Pakistan are waiting for treatment. Your donation can help them receive life-saving care when they need it most.
Every donation brings a stroke survivor one step closer to recovery. Your generosity helps fund therapy, support services, and essential medical care. Together, we can restore lives and empower patients to live independently again.
We supported the development of stroke thrombectomy program at NICVD, helped establish the stroke unit, created stroke protocols, and funded the use of AI processing software for the detection of large vessel occlusions (the first in Asia) – called Rapid AI. The stroke thrombectomy program has now expanded to two centers in Interior Sindh – NICVD Sukkur & Tando Muhammad Khan. We continue to provide real-time feedback for patient selection and treatment for stroke patients at NICVD.
We provide devices and treatment of complex brain aneurysms and vascular malformations free of cost. These are some of the complex brain aneurysm we have recently treated in Pakistan. Devices and catheters used for all procedures were provided by Pakistan Stroke Initiative, and in some cases charges for hospitalization as well.
Although we typically don’t take photos of our patients and their families, many of those we have treated have made special requests for it. Visiting physicians from abroad have consistently been impressed by the gratitude and appreciation shown by our patients and their families for the care they receive.
All of these photos have been shared with the permission of the patients and their families.
We initiated the first-in-human aneurysm treatment study using the novel intrasaccular SEAL aneurysm device at Ziauddin University Hospitals in March 2023.
Before and after images of an anterior communicating artery aneurysm treated with the SEAL device
We were the first enrollment site globally at NICVD for the first-in-human Gravity Supernova Stentriever system.
This device is used to remove clots in the brain for ischemic stroke.
We have organized numerous clinical workshops across Pakistan to train physicians in stroke thrombectomy and aneurysm treatment, enhancing the skills & techniques of local healthcare professionals and support staff. Additionally, world renowned physicians have travelled to Pakistan with us, providing local doctors the opportunity to work directly under their guidance.
We consistently provide stroke seminars to physicians and nursing staff to improve clinical knowledge regarding the endovascular and clinical management of cerebrovascular diseases.
Pakistan Stroke Initiative has organized and conducted several stroke awareness programs in Pakistan, targeting young students, physicians, and emergency medical services. Recently, we partnered with physicians across the subcontinent to create a new stroke acronym in Urdu which would be easy for the public to remember: “Jab band ho jaye haath, chehra, ya zabaan, fauran karo ilaaj, bachao apni jaan.” Visit the about strokes page to watch full public awareness video we produced, otherwise see above for the short version.
All donations go directly to stroke-related treatment, training, and outreach
Your Zakat is used with Islamic principles in mind
Collaborating with institutions nationwide
The Pakistan Stroke Initiative is dedicated to transforming stroke care in Pakistan by focusing on early stroke intervention, comprehensive physician training, and expanding access to life-saving healthcare services. Our mission is to reduce the burden of stroke-related deaths and disabilities by empowering healthcare professionals, increasing public awareness, and improving the standard of care nationwide.
