Professor Richard Walker – Transforming Parkinson’s Care in Africa

Professor Richard Walker (Bootham Old Scholar 1972-77), a consultant physician specialising in elderly care at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, is the director of the Transforming Parkinson’s Care in Africa (TraPCAf) group, which has received a £3 million grant from the NIHR’s (National Institute for Health and Care Research) Global Health Research programme.

Professor Walker said: “While there is no cure, there is effective drug treatment available for Parkinson’s, but access is very limited in sub-Saharan Africa. Undiagnosed and untreated people will have a much poorer quality of life and reduced life expectancy.

“There is also a lack of awareness among the public and health professionals, so people often don’t recognise symptoms or access medical help. Even if they do, they may be incorrectly diagnosed, which is why this research is so important.”

More can be read here https://www.northumbria.nhs.uk/ 

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