UPESI: Swahili translation of the FAST acronym for stroke awareness campaigns in East Africa

Introduction: Despite stroke being a leading cause of death and disability in sub-Saharan Africa, stroke awareness remains a major hurdle to early stroke response and care in the region. To improve stroke awareness, we endeavoured to borrow a leaf from initiatives in high-income countries, beginning with the translation and dissemination of the acronym, FAST (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) to Swahili. Methods: We formed a translation group consisting of two stroke physicians, one nurse and two professional translators, all native Swahili speakers. Forward translation of the original document from English to Swahili was done by one Swahili translator; followed by a backward translation by another translator. Clinician reviews and cognitive reviews were then done, and a final translation was developed. Results: We developed the acronym UPESI, a Swahili translation of the word, FAST. The acronym stands for Uso kupooza upande mmoja; Pooza mkono/mguu (au kupoteza hisia); ugumu ku-Eleza/kuongea; SImu upesi translating to face drooping, arm/leg paralysis, difficulty in speaking/explaining and fast to the phone. Conclusion: The result of this process is a Swahili translation of the FAST tool for stroke awareness campaigns. The translation will improve communication during stroke campaigns and increase awareness of stroke.