title: The UWEZO project-musculoskeletal health training in Kenya.
abstract: A major cause of disability and pain, musculoskeletal conditions (MSC) affect all aspects of people's lives and have a significant socioeconomic impact. Access to early diagnosis, effective treatments and rehabilitation enables people with MSCs to maintain their mobility, to work and to have a good quality of life. Despite the significant impact of MSC on health, social and economic well-being in Africa, services for MSC health remain extremely under-resourced. The UWEZO project is a collaboration between Kenyan, UK and Swedish rheumatologists, patients and researchers. It aims to improve access to basic musculoskeletal health care at the local level in communities across Kenya through the development of a sustainable training programme to raise the knowledge and skills of health professionals working in the community in the early detection, diagnosis and management of MSC. A team of physicians and patients have been trained to deliver an MSC education programme to health providers working in 11 locations across Kenya. Over 500 health providers have been trained. The programme has the potential to be adapted for use in other low resource countries where access to care for musculoskeletal conditions is limited.
authors.affiliation: Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust, Truro, Cornwall, UK. Josephine.erwin@rcht.cornwall.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Erwin
authors.affiliation: Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust, Truro, Cornwall, UK.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Woolf
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya.
authors.forename: Omondi
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Oyoo
authors.affiliation: Reumatikerforbundet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cederlund
authors.affiliation: Association for Arthritis & Rheumatic Diseases of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya.
authors.forename: Lillian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mwaniki
authors.affiliation: Centre for Rheumatic Diseases, Nairobi, Kenya.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Etau
mesh_terms: D003906:Developing Countries; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D012219:Rheumatology / Q000193:education*
keywords: Access to health care; Kenya; Musculoskeletal conditions; Training