We are proud to be part of the team that developed twelve (12) Training of Trainers (ToT) videos for musculoskeletal disorders as part of a project that ran from 2021 to 2024. As creative individuals, we delved into the world of musculoskeletal disorders, particularly Arthritis. Our team acquired a wealth of knowledge on medical terminology and concepts.

We hope that the recorded training videos will be beneficial to medical students and practitioners in Africa who are dealing with musculoskeletal disorders. These videos aim to provide insight on how to effectively examine and address such non-communicable diseases.

Arthritis can significantly affect the quality of life for those who live with it, causing not only pain and disability but also economic losses when symptoms prevent them from working.

Africa is currently experiencing a preventable crisis due to the rapid increase in Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), leading to clinical, economic, and quality of life consequences. In Tanzania, NCDs now contribute to 27% of all deaths. While there is extensive health research in Africa focused on understanding and treating communicable diseases like malaria, there is a need for more information on the clinical and economic burden of NCDs in Low- and Middle-Income Country (LMIC) settings.

To address this challenge, an interdisciplinary team of scientists from Scotland, England, and Tanzania is studying the negative effects of musculoskeletal disorders, including arthritis, on the health, wealth, and quality of life of individuals and communities in Tanzania. The findings of this study, which uses a combination of methods to explore the prevalence, impact on quality of life, and economic and societal consequences of arthritis in Tanzania, are shaping how this common, debilitating condition is diagnosed and treated in sub-Saharan Africa.