Workforce shortages and limited public hospital capacity remain barriers to stroke care in the Philippines, according to a new report, Strengthening Stroke System Readiness Across ASEAN, unveiled by Siemens Healthineers at Hospital Management Asia 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand.
The report draws on insights from seven leading experts across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, including Dr. Jay Villavicencio, an endovascular neurosurgeon and member of the Board of Trustees of the Stroke Society of the Philippines. Private hospitals currently provide most of the country's stroke care, while government hospitals — which serve the majority of patients — often lack the advanced imaging equipment needed to treat the most severe strokes.
The World Health Organization's South-East Asia Region accounts for over 40% of global stroke mortality,[1] and carries nearly half of the developing world's total stroke burden, with severe long-term disability affecting roughly one-third of all stroke survivors[2]. In the Philippines, stroke is the third leading cause of death[3], with the burden compounded by high rates of hypertension, the leading risk factor for stroke[4].
"Every healthcare system across Southeast Asia is at a different stage of its stroke care journey, yet many of the challenges are shared," said Fabrice Leguet, Managing Director ASEAN and Head of Enterprise Services Asia-Pacific & Japan, Siemens Healthineers." In the Philippines, this challenge shows up in extending specialist capability and equipment beyond the private hospitals that currently provide it. Improving outcomes depends on how effectively the entire stroke system works together to reach more patients."