01/27/2026
We are pleased to announce that our collaborative research, adapting the global MTAS framework specifically for the MENA region, has been accepted and published in Frontiers in Neurology!
📝 Title: MTAS-MENA: Adapting the Stroke Access Barrier Index (SABI) to Enhance Mechanical Thrombectomy Access in the Middle East and North Africa Region
🔗 Read the full study here:
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2026.1727476/abstract
What we accomplished:
We successfully adapted the global framework to create a region-specific tool—the Stroke Access Barrier Index (SABI). This tool is tailored to the unique healthcare landscape of the Middle East and North Africa, offering a more accurate picture of the challenges we face.
Key Highlights & Findings:
Based on data from 102 facilities across 17 MENA countries, our study reveals critical insights:
📉 The Gap: The median SABI score for the MENA region is 18.5, significantly lower than the global median of 22.0, highlighting substantial hurdles in access.
🚑 Universal Barriers: Regardless of country income level, EMS utilization and health literacy emerged as consistently low scoring areas.
🏙️ Disparities: We identified a sharp divide between urban facilities (median score 20.5) and rural facilities (median score 13.0).
🚧 Specific Hurdles: Physical and sociocultural barriers remain the most prominent obstacles to care.
Why this matters:
This isn't just data; it is a call to action. By identifying these specific bottlenecks—particularly in EMS usage and rural access—we now have an evidence-based roadmap to guide future interventions and policy changes in the region.
A huge thank you to my co-authors and the facility directors who participated in this vital research.
Society of Vascular and Interventional Neurology
Mission Thrombectomy
Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery
WLNC - World Live Neurovascular Conference
World Health Organization (WHO)
Background and Purpose: We developed and preliminarily validated the Stroke Access Barrier Index (SABI), adapted from the global MTAS framework, then applied...
