Africa’s invisible Parkinson’s problem

Parkinson’s disease diagnoses are rising across East Africa—hinting at a shift in healthcare priorities. Frank Burkybile reports One sunny afternoon in Nairobi a crowd of 200 patients, care givers, family members, and healthcare workers gather at the Visa Oshwal Community Centre. Bright banners celebrating world Parkinson’s day are hung along the walls, each displaying hopeful messages about resilience and community strength. Every participant’s presence is a quiet triumph; they have navigated a long journey with Parkinson’s disease, often endured without a proper diagnosis or access to informed healthcare.12 Some have only recently learnt their condition had a name, after years spent silently experiencing symptoms they didn’t understand. Parkinson’s in East Africa carries burdens on a scale largely unknown to patients in Europe or North America—stigma, isolation, crippling financial costs, insufficiently trained medical professionals, and inconsistent access to affordable drugs. The crisis underscores a need to rethink healthcare priorities. …