We must harness technology to deliver the musculoskeletal disease epidemiology that is urgently needed across sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Dear Editor,I write in reference to the timely article authored byCourage et al. [1]. They publish the first population-levelstudy of musculoskeletal (MSK) disease in sub-SaharanAfrica using a methodology developed by the CommunityOriented Program for the Control of Rheumatic Diseases(COPCORD). The quality of the data and the spirit ofCOPCORD are admirable. COPCORD has sought to studythe scope of MSK disease in developing countries in a finan-cially viable way by community survey.Over 360 million people live in West Africa; by 2050,Nigeria alone is projected to have a larger population thanthe USA [2]. Globally, MSK diseases are the second mostcommon cause of years lost to disability [3]. An epidemic ofnon-communicable disease (NCD) has emerged from an eraof improved communicable disease control: the burden ofMSK disease will only continue to increase as the populationof sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) ages. It is clear from the study byCourage et al. that the burden of MSK morbidity is significant[1]. Despite these stark facts, there are currently 12 consultantrheumatologists in Nigeria and population-level MSK diseasedata is scarce across SSA [4