Assessing the impact of climate change on neurological diseases in older adults

Led by Dr Eunice Muthoni Mwangi at Aga Khan University in Kenya and Dr Natasha Fothergill-Misbah at Newcastle University in the UK

A significant amount of illness in Kilifi County in Kenya can be attributed to non-infectious, neurological disorders such as dementia, diabetic neuropathy and stroke. The region also experiences extreme heat, high humidity and unpredictable flooding, conditions which older adults have been shown to be particularly vulnerable to. But are there any links between climate and neurological health?

Supported by Foundation funding, Dr Eunice Muthoni Mwangi at Aga Khan University and Dr Natasha Fothergill-Misbah at Newcastle University will conduct a study to try and answer this question. They will investigate the direct and indirect impacts of climate change on the management of neurological diseases in adults over the age of 45, as well as the risk factors that often lead to these conditions, like diabetes and high blood pressure.

With this data, the team will co-design a care and referral programme that links communities to the health facilities they need, and that is resilient to the challenges of climate change. They hope that this work will begin to close the gap in research on climate change and ageing, while also addressing the fact that neurological conditions are the leading cause of disability worldwide.