<b>MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY IN AFRICA: A SCOPING REVIEW OF THE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL, CLINICAL AND GENETIC EVIDENCE AND THE NEED FOR DISEASE REGISTRIES</b>

This overview highlights the various subtypes, their clinical manifestations, genetic profiles, and epidemiology, while spotlighting the limited data available in the African region despite its unique diversities. Although MD is a recognized condition, it's often underdiagnosed and not reported in African studies due to limited diagnostic capabilities, lack of a proper registry, poor genomics research infrastructure, and a lack of awareness of the condition.

This review aims to provide an overview of the major MD subtypes, including Duchenne, Becker, Myotonic, Limb-Girdle, Facioscapulohumeral, and congenital muscular dystrophies, while highlighting the challenges encountered in resource-challenged settings. Given the unique ancestral, ethno-linguistic and genetic diversity on the African continent, our efforts offer a unique opportunity to bolster current understanding of the phenotypic and genetic landscape of muscular dystrophies - including founder/novel/structural/rare variants – which may help advance future molecular characterization/functional studies and discovery of new drug targets.</p>