Iyke Bede
Stakeholders are advocating for a strategic shift toward community-based support to bridge the care gap for Nigerians living with Parkinson’s disease, positioning Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) as the critical first line of defense.
This objective anchored the 4th Annual Parkinson’s Disease Symposium, hosted by the Adewunmi Desalu Parkinson’s Foundation, where the discourse moved beyond clinical interventions to focus on the patient journey—specifically the critical window before diagnosis and the long-term support required thereafter.
Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurological disorder, remains widely misunderstood across the country. Symptoms like tremors and motor impairment are often misattributed to the natural aging process, a misconception that directly contributes to late-stage diagnoses and restricted access to specialized care. During the symposium, a recurring concern emerged: patients frequently present for medical evaluation too late, entering a system ill-equipped to manage their long-term needs.
Barrister Emore Ufoma, who has navigated the condition for a decade, highlighted the profound physical and psychological burden it imposes.
“Parkinson’s is not a death sentence, but many individuals give up on life, feeling they are no longer capable of contributing,” Ufoma shared. “Living with this for 10 years has been exhaustive.” He emphasized that while medical treatment is necessary, robust family and community support structures are the true pillars of patient resilience.
Representing the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Primary Healthcare Board, Dr. Ibrahim Akinwunmi, the Head of Medical Operations at the Lagos State Health Management Agency, Olugbenga Fadipe, identified financial barriers and lack of awareness as the primary hurdles.
Fadipe noted that the cost of diagnosis and subsequent treatment remains a significant deterrent for many seeking hospital care. He suggested that as Nigeria’s mandatory health insurance policy matures, broader enrollment could alleviate these burdens by pooling resources across the system, allowing the state to better allocate funds to manage conditions like Parkinson’s that must often compete with other public health priorities.
Director of Partnerships and Programmes at eHealth Africa, Ota Akhigbe, argued that current care models are reactive rather than proactive. She stated that systems must stop being designed to trigger only at the point of diagnosis, noting that by the time many patients receive a formal verdict, they have already traveled a long, uncertain road alone. Akhigbe advocated for early recognition by training PHC staff to identify early markers, strengthening caregiver networks, and leveraging telemedicine to extend specialized care to remote areas.
Fadipe echoed these sentiments, adding that government intervention is vital for drug affordability, noting that targeted policy measures could stabilize and lower the prices of essential medications. Furthering the systemic perspective, an Associate Professor of Global Governance from the University of Leeds discussed how structured health systems, backed by data and consistent funding, can be adapted to fortify care at the local level.
The symposium concluded with a clear consensus: the future of Parkinson’s management in Nigeria depends on early detection and a healthcare model that meets patients where they live.
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