One-day intensive learning event brought together 200 doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals.
By Gamini Pathirana
Gamini Pathirana
The International Stroke Conference Sri Lanka was held on June 13, 2025, at the Courtyard by Marriott in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The event brought together a dynamic blend of national and international experts dedicated to improving stroke care in Sri Lanka and beyond.
Organized by the National Stroke Association of Sri Lanka in partnership with the Asia Pacific Stroke Organization (APSO), the conference marked a significant milestone in our country’s efforts to elevate stroke prevention, treatment, and recovery across resource-limited settings.
More than 200 doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals from across the country participated in this one-day intensive learning event. With Sri Lanka facing an increasing burden of stroke and limited access to advanced therapies in many regions, this forum provided a critical platform for education, capacity-building, and strategic planning.
Key sessions included:
- Acute stroke thrombolysis protocols, with a special focus on updated global guidelines and practical implementation in Sri Lankan hospitals.
- Recent clinical trials involving tenecteplase (TNK), highlighting the potential for simplified, cost-effective thrombolysis strategies in low-resource environments.
- Development of sustainable stroke services in rural and peripheral settings, addressing infrastructure, training, and multidisciplinary care models.
- Sleep and stroke risk, a growing area of interest with emerging evidence linking sleep disorders and cerebrovascular risk.
- A hands-on stroke rehabilitation workshop, focused on early mobilization, neuroplasticity, and functional recovery.
- Updates on post-stroke care, including mood disorders, cognitive rehabilitation, and community-based support systems.
The ISCSL 2025 conference exemplified how global partnerships, expert mentorship, and local leadership can converge to create meaningful change. Participants left not only with new knowledge, but with renewed motivation to transform stroke care across Sri Lanka.
As we continue to strengthen stroke services nationwide, ISCSL 2025 stands as a beacon of what’s possible through shared purpose, collaboration, and compassion. •
Gamini Pathirana, MD, FRACP, is president of the National Stroke Association of Sri Lanka, and past president of the Association of Sri Lankan Neurologists.
The International Stroke Conference Sri Lanka included speakers on topics ranging from acute stroke thrombolysis protocols and stroke services in rural settings to sleep and stroke risk and updates on post-stroke care.
