Primary Investigator: Dr Grace Pearson
The population of Africa is ageing faster than any other continent, yet teaching in ageing and geriatric medicine is lacking in many countries. In response to the Zimbabwe Healthy Ageing Strategy, and in collaboration with clinician educators from the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) and Parirenyatwa hospital, we are working to implement innovative undergraduate and postgraduate training in geriatric medicine, which will equip their workforce with the knowledge and skills required to care for their growing population of older people. Led by Grace Pearson, GHARU in collaboration with Zim-GeN and UZ, are developing a series of lectures and cases in geriatric medicine, taking important lessons from the UK, adapting and building on them to be applicable to practice in Zimbabwe and beyond.
Here are Grace’s reflections on a recent trip to Harare:
“I was privileged to visit Dr Zaranyika, junior doctors working in the Faculty of Medicine, and medical students (all pictured) on a recent scoping visit to Harare in March 2024 – I was touched by their warm welcome and invigorated by their keen interest in geriatric medicine. To ensure that any resources generated are authentic, applicable, and sustainable, I attended ward rounds, clinics, meetings, and teaching to understand when, where, and how training in geriatrics might ‘fit’. It was a pleasure to be part of such a supportive and rich learning environment, where teams regularly meet together to discuss clinical cases (one such session pictured below) – I was myself reminded of how best to incorporate teaching moments into every day clinical practice. It was my pleasure to pilot teaching on ‘core’ geriatrics topics, such as frailty, falls, and delirium, and I found it refreshing to revisit my own ‘bread and butter’ from the ground up. I made so many friends in such a short time, and I really can’t wait to return to Harare to develop and implement more teaching.”