Parkinson's disease: deaths in Togo

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Extract from the article: Le jeudi 11 avril 2024 a été célébrée la Journée mondiale de la maladie de Parkinson. Cette maladie neurodégénérative affecte environ 4 millions de personnes dans le monde. Très peu connue au Togo, elle touche principalement les personnes âgées.

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Thursday 11 April 2024 marked World Parkinson's Day. This neurodegenerative disease affects around 4 million people worldwide. Little known in Togo, it mainly affects the elderly.

Parkinson's disease is characterised by insufficient production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter vital for controlling body movements. Known for the excessive tremors it causes in sufferers, it presents a range of symptoms: muscle stiffness, slowness of movement and speech difficulties.

For Dr Harrish Reesaul, Neurologist at Victoria Hospital (Mauritius), this is what is known as tremor disease. "At first, people have asymmetric tremors. Slowly, the body starts to slow down, their actions slow down, they have difficulty walking. They have masked faces, which means they have a diminished expression. Their bodies become more rigid, they have difficulty walking and as the disease progresses, the disability progresses", explains the neurologist.

According to health professionals, Parkinson's disease may be caused by an excess of calcium in the brain. This is confirmed by the results of a study published in the medical journal Nature Communications.It shows that excess calcium in the brain can be a risk factor for the development of Parkinson's disease, the first symptoms of which usually appear between the ages of 50 and 60.But the disease can begin much earlier or much later. According to health professionals, when it appears before the age of 20, it is known as juvenile Parkinsonism, and between the ages of 20 and 40 as early onset.This represents almost 5% of Parkinson's cases worldwide.

Cases in Togo

According to the latest WHO data published in 2020, deaths from Parkinson's disease in Togo totalled 111, or 0.22% of total deaths. However, « after diagnosis, they are most often referred to hospital, in neurology », says a provider. It should be noted that World Stroke Day was a confidential event. There was no fanfare or advocacy for a disease that is spreading timidly among the Togolese population.

Although it was discovered several decades ago, the exact cause of its appearance remains unknown, making prevention difficult. However, some research suggests that maintaining a healthy diet, practising meditation and sport, and avoiding exposure to neurotoxic substances such as pesticides can potentially reduce the risk or delay its onset. The disease leads to other speech and memory disorders. There is no cure for Parkinson's disease, but patients can receive symptomatic treatment. If symptoms such as muscle stiffness or tremors occur, it is important to consult a doctor.

Jean ELI & Nelly BELLAHCENE