Director of Rehabilitation and Disability Services, Dr Ariane Mangar is urging lifestyle changes as Guyana, like the rest of the world, sees an increase in stroke patients, and persons living with diabetes.

In an interview that will air this Sunday on SOURCES, Dr Mangar said while the Rehabilitation and Disability Services Department within the Ministry of Health has expanded its reach right across Guyana, better lifestyle choices can significantly reduce the number of persons requiring physiotherapy and other forms of rehabilitative therapy.

It was explained that diabetes significantly increases the risk of a stroke, which often causes paralysis, speech loss or cognitive impairment. In other cases, diabetes can result in amputation. 

”This is not a Guyana trend, it is a global trend based on the evidence. More and more persons between the ages of 15 and 49 are now having an episode of stroke. Why? Because the hypertension is coming much earlier than it did before and this is because we now have a more sedentary lifestyle – we have more stress. The food we eat is different, we have an obesity epidemic happening, and people don’t check, no one check’s themselves,” Dr Mangar said. 

In 2021, stroke was the third leading cause of death and disability globally, with an estimated 93.8 million cases, globally.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2021 there were 11.9 million new cases of stroke. In a December 2025, it said that the lifetime risk of stroke has increased by 50% over the past 20 years, with 1 in 4 adults predicted to experience a stroke in their lifetime.

Dr. Mangar is urging regular health checks, daily exercise, and healthy foods to improve one’s quality of life.

“You need fresh air, you need exercise. Exercise is very important for your lungs, your heart, all these things need exercise, and if you are just sitting down and not moving, you are not getting strong. It is like you want to get strong biceps but you don’t lift anything – it is not going to happen. If you want a strong heart and strong lungs, you have to exercise,” she said. 

However, cognizant of the increasing health challenges, the Health Ministry, through the Rehabilitation and Disability Services Department, has expanded the rehabilitative services it offers. Dr Mangar said it is important for Guyanese to lead healthy lives.

“Once you have a stroke, we have various departments that the patient can go to, to be rehabilitated because you don’t want persons to have a poor quality of life. You have a stroke, you get disable, you can’t work. You really want people to be able to get back up and get back into life,” Dr. Mangar said.

Dr Mangar said rehabilitation services are available across the 10 Administrative Regions with specialists attached to the various branches.

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