Research projects based around kilimanjaro

The initial Research program was based around Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre in Moshi and the adjacent medical school and Research Institute. We have published and disseminated the results of our work which was the first study to address the prevalence of arthritic conditions in the Tanzanian community and the socio-economic effects thereof. At present we're awaiting the outcome of a large grant application which encompasses a multi-national program to examine the diseases that adversely affect the independence of those people living in Tanzania,Malawi and Ghana. This would again involve assessing populations for signs of early arthritis, osteoporosis or auto-immune disease. We have learned much about the cause and consequences of diseases here, and understand how auto-immunity and western-style diseases are taking over from infection as one of the biggest threats to well being in this area.

We've also studied the reasons for the high levels of heart disease that affect women after childbirth, and why kidney disease occurs five times more frequently here than in the UK. We suspect that it may take some years to resolve these issues, but anticipate training up local staff to provide an expanded range of services and opportunities in the years to come.

Most recently, we’ve identified high levels of auto-immune disease in Zanzibar,often affecting young people, and we’ve embarked on an ambitious program of research and clinical development to better understand and address these issues.

At the same time, we’re fully aware of the growing number of people with uncontrolled hypertension which is fuelling an epidemic of cerebro- and cardio-vascular disease. Indeed, many of the adult patients who are hospitalised in Africa now have had either heart failure or stroke disease, usually as a result of hypertension. This is another topic of our research program with UK and African Universities.