Miller School of Medicine Neurologist Calls for Global Action on Stroke Treatment Access
At a United Nations General Assembly side event, Dileep R. Yavagal, M.D., called for funded national plans that connect hospitals, train stroke teams and expand timely access to mechanical thrombectomy.
When a large blood vessel in the brain becomes blocked, every minute counts. Mechanical thrombectomy, a catheter-based procedure that removes the clot, can markedly reduce death and disability for eligible patients with acute ischemic stroke. Yet access remains extraordinarily limited in many parts of the world.
That gap was the focus of a United Nations General Assembly side event, “From Resolution to Action: Investing in Acute Stroke Care,” in New York on September 22, 2026. Dileep R. Yavagal, M.D., founder and global chair emeritus of Mission Thrombectomy and professor of neurology and neurosurgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, made an argument for extending standard-of-care stroke treatment to a global patient population.
The evidence, advocacy tools and regional networks needed to expand thrombectomy access already exist, said Dr. Yavagal. The next step is to combine them in funded, country-by-country plans with accountable leadership and measurable increases in the number of patients who receive timely treatment.
“We have spent years proving that thrombectomy works and building a global movement around access,” Dr. Yavagal said. “The task now is to turn that momentum into funded national plans that reach patients.”
Why is Global Thrombectomy Access Limited?
Dr. Yavagal described stroke as a long-neglected global health crisis. He cited 13.7 million strokes and 9.5 million ischemic strokes worldwide each year, with developing countries accounting for 75% of stroke deaths and 81% of stroke-related disability-adjusted life years.
Mechanical thrombectomy is highly effective for eligible patients and can also be cost-effective for health systems. But global access is at only 2.79%. In 18 countries, access was below 1%, and the difference between the highest- and lowest-access countries was 460-fold. Low-income countries had 88% lower access.
Those percentages represent a practical divide defined by whether a patient can reach a capable hospital, be identified quickly and be treated by a trained team before the opportunity for benefit closes.
“A treatment cannot truly be called standard of care if a patient’s country, income or distance from a major center determines whether that treatment is available,” said Dr. Yavagal.
What Does Broader Access Require?
Dr. Yavagal organized the challenge around the barriers of information, physical access and financial access. That framework translates into public education about stroke recognition, connected referral and treatment networks, trained clinical teams and coverage that patients can use.
Mission Thrombectomy’s regional model is intended to connect global evidence with local implementation. Regional committees can identify gaps, engage governments and health officials, build public health campaigns and adapt training to local systems. Workshops in countries including Indonesia, Bangladesh, India, Mexico, Sri Lanka and Thailand have combined clinical education with policy discussions and planning.
In 2023, the United Nations Economic and Social Council granted SVIN and Mission Thrombectomy special consultative status, giving the organizations a formal avenue to participate in and contribute to United Nations initiatives and commissions.
“The most durable solutions will join top-down policy and financing with bottom-up clinical leadership,” Dr. Yavagal said. “Countries need both a national commitment and local teams empowered to make the system work.”
The Next Step: Measurable Country Plans
Dr. Yavagal closed with a call for funded country plans for acute stroke treatment. Each plan would pair government leadership and treatment coverage with referral pathways, connected hospitals and trained clinical teams.
He also proposed a concrete first step within 90 days to name a lead, identify funding and define how progress will be measured. The standard for success, he emphasized, is not the number of meetings, reports or campaigns. It is whether more patients receive timely care. That emphasis turns words into an implementation agenda.
Global advocacy has established the case for mechanical thrombectomy. Global action will require countries and partners to build systems that make the treatment available to patients regardless of geography or resources.
More from Dr. Yavagal
University of Miami researchers review how intra-arterial stem cell therapy could support recovery after ischemic stroke.
Dr. Dileep Yavagal earns a Lifetime Achievement Award at AAN 2026 for advancing mechanical thrombectomy and equitable stroke care worldwide.
University of Miami neurologist Dr. Dileep Yavagal explores how stem cells may help locked‑in stroke patients regain movement.
Dr. Dileep Yavagal and Dr. Nadia McMillan explored how stem cell–based therapies could transform recovery for millions of stroke survivors.
Tags: Department of Neurological Surgery, Department of Neurology, Dr. Dileep Yavagal, neurology, stem cell therapies, stem cells, stroke, stroke outcomes, thrombectomy