A clear-eyed purpose, built on a gap the Caribbean can no longer afford to ignore.
Parkinson's disease is the world's fastest-growing neurological disorder. Globally, more than 10 million people live with it — and that number is rising. Yet across the entire Caribbean, there is no dedicated movement, wellness, and research community built around it.
Families in Jamaica and across the region face a difficult reality: limited access to specialist care, high cost of overseas treatment, and a structural data gap that keeps Parkinson's out of the surveillance systems meant to track a nation's health — which means prevalence goes unmeasured and care needs go unseen.
"We are not just building a facility. We are building an answer — for every Caribbean family who has watched a loved one navigate Parkinson's without the right support around them." — Ian Esson, Founder & CEO, MAP Jamaica
MAP Jamaica's mission is to build the Caribbean's first dedicated Parkinson's movement, wellness, and research community — starting with the people the data has missed.
We're gathering the region's first community evidence through a Cayman Islands proof of concept, building movement and education programs the community can use today, and working toward a permanent home in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica by 2030 — combining clinical excellence, practical nutrition education, and original research under one roof.
Every person living with Parkinson's deserves care that honours their full humanity.
Solutions designed for our people, our culture, and our context — not imported frameworks.
Decisions rooted in research, outcomes measured, and findings shared openly.
Our work doesn't exist apart from the Caribbean — it grows from it, serves it, and strengthens it.
Programs built to sustain themselves and the community around them for the long term.
Raising awareness, supporting caregivers, and helping close the Caribbean data gap.
Community exercise adapting established Parkinson's frameworks — LSVT BIG, PWR! Moves, and non-contact boxing — delivered under clinical oversight, meeting people where they are today, not just at a future facility.
Practical, food-first guidance to support wellbeing — helping families understand what to eat and why, grounded in evidence rather than treatment claims.
The founding data initiative — gathering the first community evidence from the Cayman Islands and building toward an IRB-approved research base, with Caribbean institutions at the table.
Led by Dr. Rastafa Geddes, Chief Scientific & Research LeadAs a funder, clinician, researcher, board member, or advocate — there's a place for you in building the Caribbean's first dedicated Parkinson's community.