Document Type
Article
Department
Internal Medicine (East Africa)
Abstract
Background: The accessibility of Parkinson’s disease medicines is limited across sub-Saharan Africa,which can have negative health, social and financial consequences for people with Parkinson’s disease andtheir families. However, there is a stark gap in the literature regarding the impact of poor access to medicineson individuals.
Objectives: The study objective was to understand the accessibility of Parkinson’s disease medicines in Kenyafrom the perspective of people with Parkinson’s disease, their caregivers and neurologists.MethodsMethods: In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 55 people with Parkinson’s disease, 23 caregiversand 8 neurologists to understand their experience regarding challenges with accessing Parkinson’s diseasemedicines and the health, social and financial impact of poor availability and affordability.
Results: Medicines for Parkinson’s disease were deemed to be largely unavailable and unaffordable acrossKenya. People with Parkinson’s disease, caregivers and neurologists expressed the financial burden caused bylong-term treatment in the absence of health insurance coverage. Further, barriers accessing medicinesnegatively impacted symptom control, social relations, and quality of life.
Conclusions: Access to Parkinson’s disease medicines in Kenya is limited, with severe implications for symptommanagement and quality of life. People with Parkinson’s disease should be able to access and afford themedicines they need to manage their condition.
Publication (Name of Journal)
Movement Disorders Clinical Practice.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/mdc3.14192
Recommended Citation
Fothergill-Misbah, N.,
Hooker, J.,
Kwasa, J.,
Walker, R.
(2024). Access to medicines for parkinson's disease in Kenya: A qualitative exploration. Movement Disorders Clinical Practice., 11(7), 1-6.
Available at:
https://ecommons.aku.edu/eastafrica_fhs_mc_intern_med/432
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.