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Injuries are the leading cause of death in people aged between 10-49 years and are responsible for more deaths than from HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis combined. For every person who dies, up to 50 people survive but become disabled. Broken bones account for most of these injuries, and disproportionally affect people living in poor regions, such as countries in Africa.
A team from NDORMS, led by Simon Graham, Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Trauma Surgery has been awarded a grant from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to find out more and see what can be done to improve treatment and outcomes for the injured. Focussing on three Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries (Malawi, Tanzania and South Africa) Simon and the team will explore how many individuals sustain a broken bone, what healthcare services are available to treat them, how the injury affects individuals and their families and ways to improve their recovery.
Simon said: ‘Musculoskeletal injuries such as broken bones create a huge burden on healthcare systems across the world but despite this there is little evidence to guide the management of such injuries in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs). Sub-Saharan Africa has a higher incidence of MSK injuries than any other world region so our research will not only support the care of injuries in this area but provide a lasting legacy to drive improved care across LMICs as a whole.’
The project has four themes;
1. CAPACITY: Healthcare workers have limited research training and resources, hindering improvements in patient care for broken bones. The study will assess current research capabilities and develop educational resources to address these gaps.
2. MAPPING: The team will establish a network of hospitals in partner countries to study the incidence of five specific broken bones identified by the WHO and assess the resources available for treatment.
- OUTCOMES: The study will examine how patients recover from their injury and the impact on their lives and livelihoods for each of the five types of broken bones.
- CHANGE: A multi-centre study through the network of collaborating hospitals, will 'test' the feasibility of large-scale research studies.
‘We are grateful to the NIHR for supporting our research that will enable us to work towards our vision that the care for broken bones in a low resource setting can be safe, accessible, and appropriate to the local healthcare systems,’ Simon added.