In a bid to address the ever growing thyroid issues in Africa, Merck- a global pharmaceutical has launched ThyroAfrica, a continent-wide thyroid awareness initiative, with Kenya as its flagship country aiming to improve early diagnosis and access to treatment through education and strategic partnerships.
Speaking at the official launch Mr. John Ndeti, General Manager, Merck said that the initiative is in line with the continent’s NCD agenda as thyroid disorders affect over 12 million people in Africa many of whom remain undiagnosed.
“Thyroid disorders especially Hypothyroidism which is the most prevalent are associated with a myriad of NCDs including Cardiovascular, Obstetrics and Gynecological disorders, and yet many African countries including Kenya lack baseline Epidemiological data and this is reflected by a lack of policy guidelines on screening and treatment. Patients are only picked accidentally while seeking treatment for other conditions meaning many are never picked up until late into the disease.”
A study done in 2022 at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) by Dr. Beryl O. Muyodi, Prof. E. Amayo, Prof Joshi and Dr. Kagima showed that the prevalence of Thyroid disorders among Heart failure patients was at 36.8 per cent making it a significant contributor to the NCDs Burden.
Thyroid disorders affect over 200 million people globally, this is according to the World Health Organization (WHO), they occur when the thyroid gland, which is found in the neck, produces too much or too little hormone. These imbalances can lead to conditions like hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and goiter.
ThyroAFrica hopes to plug the gaps in diagnosis and treatment using three strategic pillars: Patient Awareness, Healthcare Provider Diagnosis Excellence and Partnerships.
Consultant Physician, Endocrinologist, and Chair of the Kenya Diabetes Study Group (KDSG), Dr. Rosslyn Ngugi termed these pillars as the key to improving Endocrine health as Thyroid disorders often mimic other conditions. She lauded experts in their initiative to come together to ensure proper and timely diagnosis are made.
“By coming together as health professionals, policymakers, and communities, we can build a future where thyroid disorders are no longer overlooked, and every patient gets timely, accurate care and this is just the beginning, our goal is to ensure that thyroid health becomes an integral part of Africa’s broader non-communicable disease agenda — and that no one is left behind.”
ThyroAfrica hopes to foster local partnerships through collaboration with local laboratories, healthcare organizations, and policymakers to facilitate Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH) testing and improve access to timely diagnosis and treatment.
The initiative is using social media platforms to spread Patient Awareness and help improve health seeking behaviors, the social media campaign will focus on educating the public on Hypothyroidism and the symptoms they should look out for.
