Tungurahua and Chimborazo provinces in Ecuador have been recognized as Angels Regions for meeting international standards in prehospital care for stroke management. This makes Ecuador the second country in Latin America to receive this distinction.
Last year, the Angels initiative awarded Diamond Category recognition to Zones 2 and 9 of the Ministry of Public Health (MSP) for their work in stroke care, reinforcing models of excellence.
The award was presented by María José Pinto, Vice President of Ecuador and head of the MSP, to Daniela Llerena and María José Del Pozo, governors of Tungurahua and Chimborazo respectively.
“This achievement does not happen by chance. It is the result of a serious, coordinated, and sustained strategy based on four fundamental pillars. (…) From the National Government, under the leadership of President Daniel Noboa Azin, we maintain a firm commitment: to continue strengthening prevention and timely response to protect the well-being of all Ecuadorian families,” said Pinto during her speech.
The Angels Regions strategy aims to make territories safer against strokes through four main actions: ongoing community education; internationally recognized mobile health services with at least gold category; coverage reaching 80% of health centers and hospitals within the National Health System for stroke care; and accreditation as “Stroke Ready” centers.
Edwin Bucheli, Medical Manager for Angels in Ecuador, stated that positive results have come from collaboration between MSP, Angels, and civil society. The focus has been on improving patient care by strengthening emergency medical personnel’s response capabilities.
With support from the Ministry of Education, the Héroes – Fast program was implemented in primary schools to teach children how to recognize early signs and symptoms of stroke. Nationwide participation included 51 schools where more than 4,700 students and 320 teachers were trained.
Olga Palomo, a teacher at Juan Benigno Vela Educational Unit, expressed gratitude for Héroes – Fast: “Today our young people become messengers of life—a mission they took on responsibly to recognize signs of a stroke and act quickly to save lives,” she said.
Additionally, training reached 2,377 healthcare professionals across Ecuador’s hospital network. Hospitals such as General Docente de Ambato (Tungurahua), Provincial General Docente de Riobamba (MSP), and General de Riobamba (IESS) in Chimborazo received awards for optimized hospital care practices.
Zully Romero, an emergency physician at Hospital Provincial General Docente Riobamba, highlighted support from MSP through Angels training programs: “This guidance provides new knowledge we can apply with patients facing a condition that is now Ecuador’s third leading cause of death.”
This international recognition encourages both MSP staff and mobile health workers to maintain high standards in stroke patient care according to established guidelines.
