A Model for Multilingual Public Health Campaigns
In Frederick County, Maryland, a Spanish-language stroke-awareness program is saving lives and inspiring a broader approach to health care education.
For decades, strokes have been a leading cause of death and the number one cause of disability in Frederick County, Maryland. In 2023, the county participated in a Stroke Smart education campaign using the mnemonic BE FAST to help residents remember stroke symptoms.
However, the mnemonic was meaningless to the roughly 31,000 Spanish-speaking residents. Instead of just translating the campaign, the county researched the best way to reach this population and created Project AHORA.
The county's approach is saving lives and inspiring a broader approach to health care education.
Author's summary: Spanish-language stroke awareness program saves lives.