Heidelberg. Dr. Christine Tunkl, a physician at the Neurological University Hospital Heidelberg, AG Health Services Research, has received the Commitment Award from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development for the Nepal Stroke Project she initiated. The Nepal Stroke Project is a cooperation between the Neurological Clinic of the University Hospital Heidelberg (UKHD) and Nepalese clinics to improve stroke treatment in Nepal. Training and the introduction of standardized treatment protocols have improved stroke care in a country where one fifth of the 30 million people live below the poverty line, she says.
“I am delighted to receive this award for our project, which we are running so successfully in neurology,” says Christine Tunkl. In Nepal – as in most countries around the world – one in four people will suffer a stroke in their lifetime. However, until now, strokes have been inadequately treated in Nepal, says Tunkl. With the Nepal Stroke Project, the UKHD Neurology Clinic is supporting the expansion of local healthcare in order to reduce the health and social consequences of this disease. “The commitment award is a confirmation and an incentive to continue on this path with determination,” says Christine Tunkl. (eb)