Project R-16888

Co-creating better awareness and neurorehabilitation pathways for people with multiple sclerosis in Kenya (Education)

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is increasingly recognised in Africa, but remains underdiagnosed and poorly understood in Kenya and many other low-resource settings. People living with MS may face delayed diagnosis, limited access to rehabilitation, stigma, financial barriers and fragmented referral pathways. This project brings together Hasselt University (UHasselt) and partners in Kenya to explore how awareness, rehabilitation and support for people living with MS can be strengthened in a way that responds to the local context. The collaboration combines UHasselt's expertise in MS and neurorehabilitation with the experiences of Kenyan healthcare professionals, public-health stakeholders, patients, caregivers and patient advocacy organisations. During the one-year project, Belgian and Kenyan partners will exchange knowledge and expertise through reciprocal visits, stakeholder meetings, seminars and workshops. Together, they will map key challenges related to MS symptoms, diagnosis, referral and access to rehabilitation, and identify priorities for improving awareness and care pathways. An important principle of the project is co-creation: knowledge and experience are shared in both directions, with the perspectives of people living with MS and local stakeholders playing an important role. The project will also contribute to education at UHasselt by bringing a real-world international case into teaching on rehabilitation, health systems and global health. The collaboration will result in a Belgium–Kenya MS Neurorehabilitation Working Group, a stakeholder map, exploratory tools for understanding rehabilitation needs, shared priorities and a roadmap for future research, education and collaboration. A stakeholder forum will continue to support knowledge exchange beyond the initial project period. The project aims to lay the foundations for more equitable access to knowledge, rehabilitation and support for people living with MS, while strengthening long-term collaboration between Belgium and Kenya in the field of neurorehabilitation.

01 September 2026 - 31 August 2027