“TAASA”, A Suggested Acronym, To Improve Stroke Literacy And Acute Stroke Recognition In Uganda

A Correspondence

Abstract

Stroke causes the most disability and mortality for a medical condition and is a leading cause of neurologic admissions among adults in Africa, including Uganda. Alongside several existing challenges to stroke care in Africa lies the critical fact that public stroke literacy remains low, contributing to delayed stroke recognition and pre-hospital delays, which worsen stroke outcomes. Even though tools like FAST (Face, Arm, Speech, Time) and BE-FAST (Balance, Eyes, Face, Arm, Speech, Time) have been developed to improve public stroke literacy, in Africa, stroke literacy rates only range from 18% to 66%. A key factor to consider in Africa’s suboptimal stroke literacy is language barrier. Uganda, for example, has only moderate English proficiency and over 41 local languages, with Luganda being the most widely used local dialect. Stroke literacy tools in Luganda could better resonate with the Ugandan public. Drawing from initiatives like RAPIDO (Rostro, Aliento, Pérdida de equilibrio, Imbalance, Dolor de cabeza), a Spanish-language translated stroke recognition algorithm, a Luganda adaptation of the BE-FAST tool, “TAASA”, an acronym derived from the Luganda word “taasa” meaning “save” or “deliver” in English, that comprises the Luganda words “Tatebenkera”, “Amaaso”, “Anafuye”, “Ssimu” and “Ambulensi” is suggested. TAASA is designed to be a recallable, culturally relevant tool for acute stroke recognition to help the Ugandan general public identify stroke onset more rapidly. Disseminating TAASA through local mass media and community education programs could enhance public suspicion and recognition of stroke onset, reduce pre-hospital delays and bridge the stroke literacy gap in Uganda.