Kiggundu bids to break barriers in dementia fight
Rodney Kiggundu_Uganda's first Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute.
What you need to know:
One Ugandan, Mr Rodney Kiggundu, is joining the fight early enough through the use of art and social activism
Uganda is one of the world’s youngest countries in the world but the nation faces a problem of dementia among its elderly.
Perhaps, this could be more profound when the current population ages. This is because every year, there are nearly 10 million new cases, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). And it is estimated that 152 million people worldwide will be living with dementia by 2050.
One Ugandan, Mr Rodney Kiggundu, is joining the fight early enough through the use of art and social activism.
Rodney Kiggundu Uganda's first Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute.
“I had a lived experience with dementia through my late grandmother who suffered from this neurodegenerative illness,” Mr Kiggundu told this newspaper in an interview.
“Her untimely death was a great motivator for me to apply for this programme to learn more about dementia and also create more awareness about the disease while aligning my artistic goals to the programme goals through learning from different experts and fellows,” he added.
Dementia is a term for several diseases that affect memory, thinking, and the ability to perform daily activities, and it is common for people aged 65 or older.
Using his art practice to advance health, culture, and community, Kiggundu became the first Ugandan to be selected as an Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health at the Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) in the USA.
Rodney Kiggundu
He will be spending the next year at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where he will be trained in brain health, leadership, and dementia prevention.
The 31-year-old is looking to create a greater impact for those ageing in the communities of Uganda and Africa at large. “I believe this programme will equip me with the necessary skills, networks, knowledge, and collaborative infrastructure to create more awareness about the condition in my home country,” he said.
“Specifically, I’m excited to create art inspired by themes around cognitive health and dementia care,” Kiggundu added.
About Rodney Erismas Kiggundu
Age: 31
Fellowship: Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health at the Global Brain Health Institute
Base: University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
Capacities: Founder Kiggundu Art Studio, Founder FireSideChArts Africa, 2023 Fellow (LeO Africa Institute), 2021 Global Arts in Medicine Fellowship Fellow & 2023 Arts In Health Summer Intensive Program - Centre for Arts In Medicine (University of Florida), Global South Arts in Health Week Uganda Pavilion Country Festival Director, Bachelor’s degree in Industrial & Fine Arts, Makerere University
ABOUT DEMENTIA
Dementia is a general term for loss of memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life.
Every three seconds, there is one new case of dementia.
Alzheimer’s disease, which is a brain disorder that gets worse over time, is the most known form of dementia.
Pilot Awards for Global Brain Health Leaders and GBHI Projects, GBHI has developed dozens of initiatives focused on brain health in 24 countries worldwide.
