The health and well-being of people with dementia and those who support and care for them is now a major concern for the global public health community. Dementia is a debilitating condition that causes progressive brain damage interfering with communication, functional abilities, thought processes and behaviours.
The East African region including Kenya is expected to see an increase in the number of people with dementia by 2050, yet little effort has been made to promote or highlight dementia in policy or research agendas in the region. There is a perceived notion that dementia is a normal part of ageing, or due to bewitchment or other unexplainable causes; Caregivers and their families may be branded as witches which may affect their ability to attend social events or engage in communal work. This leads to social isolation, potentially leading to a further deterioration of the condition of the person with dementia and caregiver burden.
The ENGAGE project investigates the potential for rural neighbourhoods to enhance the well-being of people with dementia and caregivers to inform the development of a dementia neighbourhood model (DNM) using a community-based participatory research approach. This project is being conducted in rural Kenya.
The project is co-funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA).
Meet the ENGAGE Team
Dr Purity Mwendwa, Project Lead
DOROTHY/Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow & HRB Fulbright Scholar,
Trinity College Institute of Neurosciences (TCIN) Ireland
& Research Affiliate, University of Greenwich, UK.
Professor Iracema Leroi,
Professor, Geriatric Psychiatry,
Trinity College Dublin & Faculty,
Global Brain Health Institute.
Professor Andrew Clark,
Professor in the Institute for Lifecourse Development,
University of Greenwich,UK.