A research team led by AKU faculty Dr Angela Migowa, a Paediatric Rheumatologist at the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, has secured a grant to carry out capacity building activities in Paediatric Rheumatology across Africa that will enrich the learning experience of healthcare workers who care for paediatric rheumatology patients.
The project, which will run under the Paediatric Society of the African League Against Rheumatism (PAFLAR) association, is the first of its kind across the continent in partnership with the Swiss based Juvenile Inflammatory Rheumatism Network (JIR) Academy.
The PAFLAR-JIR partnership seeks to raise awareness for paediatric rheumatology and seek for feasible treatment and management solutions applicable for children with arthritis and associated diseases such as lupus, dermatomyositis, sjogren's disease, scleroderma among other disorders of the joints, muscles, and ligaments.
“The goal of the PAFLAR-JIR Academy collaboration is to offer a blended learning experience through monthly webinars and rheumatology courses through fee subsidies that will enrich the learning experience of paediatric rheumatologists and other healthcare workers who care for paediatric rheumatology patients. The project will also give them an opportunity to showcase their clinical experience and expertise with the global rheumatology community,” said Dr Angela.
The project will roll out the programme simultaneously across the continent. So far, an estimated 200 participants from over 10 countries have expressed interest in the programme.
According to Dr Angela, it is estimated that for every 1,000 children, about 1-3 will be afflicted with arthritis globally, indicating that about 600,000 children are affected in Kenya.
The specialty is a young discipline that is gradually gaining momentum across the continent, which has 15 paediatric rheumatologists who have come together under PAFLAR with the aim of implementing strategies and programmes that focus on the well-being of children with Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases.
This shall be achieved through education, research, advocacy and enactment of policies that promotes the growth, development, survival and overall well-being of these children.
“The shortage of paediatric rheumatologists in Africa has not only resulted in inadequate or absent care for those with rheumatic diseases but also in a lack of expertise to educate non-specialist clinicians in the care of paediatric rheumatic diseases. As a result, we have misperceptions that rheumatic diseases are rare or that the diagnosis and management are beyond the capabilities of non-specialists,” added Dr Angela.
The project is in line with AKU’s Medical College commitment to train the next generation of leading medical practitioners through a participatory approach to learning, networking and establishing strong connections to the communities it serves.
