Thyroid Disease Awareness Kenya Foundation (TDAK)

Thyroid hormones are essential for growth, neuronal development, reproduction and regulation of energy metabolism. Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism are common conditions with potentially devastating health consequences that affect all populations worldwide. Iodine nutrition is a key determinant of thyroid disease risk; however, other factors, such as environmental factors, genetic susceptibility, ethnicity, determine the epidemiology of thyroid disease. Thyroid disease is a global health problem that can substantially impact the overall well-being of the sufferers. In advanced economies, the prevalence of undiagnosed thyroid disease is falling owing to widespread thyroid function testing and relatively low thresholds for treatment initiation, a variety of options of different approaches of treating thyroid disease. However, In Emerging Economies, and developing countries, like Africa, the concept of thyroid disease testing is still a very foreign concept, and because of this, The extent of autoimmune thyroid disorders In Africa remains unknown because of underdiagnoses and underreporting. Thyroid disorders are becoming common in Africa and mostly arise from environmental and nutritional factors, representing a severe public health problem in several countries of the sub-Saharan area, and East African countries such as Kenya. In Sub Saharan Africa, where most of the countries are Low- Middle-Income Countries(LMIC) the privilege of having different types of treatment options to treat different forms of thyroid disease is not there, and therefore, only the use of generic antithyroid drugs, and limited types of thyroid surgeries are the most common forms of treatment of thyroid disorders. Here at TDAK, we are passionate to work in helping people understand the concepts of thyroid disease through education and creating awareness. We also aim to ensure that the treatment options available are of optimum quality, affordable and accessible to all Kenyans.