TraPCAf Team Deliver Medical Education Workshop in Kilifi, Kenya

On the 12th of August 2024, the TraPCAf team delivered a Parkinson’s Continuing Medical Education Workshop at KEMRI in Kilifi, to a mixed audience of Healthcare Professionals (HCPs).

The session looked to improve recognition of Parkinson’s Disease (PD) amongst HCPs in the region, addressing the limited awareness of the disease that currently exists.

The workshop targeted HCPs of all professions, representing both hospital and community. Overall, the audience comprised 35 professionals stationed in Kilifi, ranging from Nurses to Occupational Therapists, Community Healthcare Practitioners and Clinicians, who all bought in to maximise involvement at all levels of the Healthcare Sector. 

The content for the session covered PD pathology, epidemiology, clinical features and treatment.

Moreover, an emphasis was placed on life for People with Parkinson’s (PwPs), highlighting the issue of stigma. In the session, real-life testimonies were delivered to display the day-to-day impact of PD, including hearing from a PD patient, and a family member who recently lost her father to the disease.

Additionally, videos of real patients from prior research were shown to demonstrate physical symptoms such as tremors, helping attendees to visualise how Parkinson’s symptoms present in the real world. 

Overall, the session proved to be a resounding success, with many stating their understanding had improved dramatically by the end of the workshop. Moreover, many were enthused to learn more about the disease, requesting that further training be carried out in Kilifi and Malindi.

It is clear that although the session was the first of its kind in the region, promisingly, it is unlikely to be the last. 

1. Fothergill-Misbah N, Walker R, Kwasa J, Hooker J, Hampshire K. “Old people problems”, uncertainty and legitimacy: Challenges with diagnosing Parkinson's disease in Kenya. Social Science & Medicine. 2021 Aug 1;282:114148.  

1. Fothergill-Misbah N. The lived experience of stigma and parkinson’s disease in Kenya: a public health challenge. BMC Public Health. 2023 Feb 20;23(1):364. 

Last modified: Mon, 19 Aug 2024 13:59:24 BST