A report on the development of COVID-19 guidelines for rehabilitation professionals in African settings

Etienne Ngeh Ngeh; Nnenna Nina Chigbo; Zillah Whitehouse; Emelie Moris Anekwu; Lela Mukaruzima; Lungile Mtsetfwa; Rogers Kitur; Mary Wetani Agoriwo; Priscillah Ondoga; Maurice Douryang; Lynn Cockburn

doi:10.11604/pamj.2021.38.129.26311

A report on the development of COVID-19 guidelines for rehabilitation professionals in African settings

Pan Afr Med J. 2021 Feb 4:38:129. doi: 10.11604/pamj.2021.38.129.26311. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Etienne Ngeh Ngeh^{1

2

3}, Nnenna Nina Chigbo^{1

4}, Zillah Whitehouse^{1

5}, Emelie Moris Anekwu^{1

6}, Lela Mukaruzima¹, Lungile Mtsetfwa^{1

7}, Rogers Kitur^{1

8}, Mary Wetani Agoriwo^{1

9}, Priscillah Ondoga¹, Maurice Douryang^{1

10}, Lynn Cockburn^{1

11}

Affiliations

¹ African Rehabilitation Network (AFRENET).
² Research Organization for Health Education and Rehabilitation-Cameroon (ROHER-CAM).
³ Physiotherapy Department, Regional Hospital Bamenda, Bamenda, North West Region, Cameroon.
⁴ Department of Physiotherapy, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu, Enugu, Nigeria.
⁵ Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, Mbarara Unversity of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda.
⁶ Department of Physiotherapy, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Ebonyi State, Nigeria.
⁷ LnV Physiotherapy Service, Mbabane, Eswatini.
⁸ Kapsabet County Referral Hospital, Emgwen, Kenya.
⁹ Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Science, University of Health and Allied Sciences/Ho Teaching Hospital, Ho, Ghana.
¹⁰ Rehabilitation Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon.
¹¹ Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.

Abstract

COVID-19 is the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, one of a large family of coronaviruses. Severe forms of the disease can lead to respiratory failure with multiple organ failure necessitating rehabilitation in both acute and long-term care. With the increasing prevalence of COVID-19 and rehabilitation needs, the African Rehabilitation Network (AFRENET) produced a guidance document to assist in reducing variation in clinical practice among rehabilitation professionals in the Africa Region. This report outlines the process of the guideline development.

Keywords: Africa; COVID-19; guidelines; rehabilitation.

Copyright: Etienne Ngeh Ngeh et al.

MeSH terms

Africa
COVID-19 / rehabilitation*
Health Personnel / organization & administration*
Humans
Practice Guidelines as Topic*