Strengthening the emergency health response to civilian victims of explosive weapons, Burkina Faso
THE CHALLENGE
In Burkina Faso, civilian victims of explosive violence often do not receive timely trauma care, which drastically reduces their chances of survival. The lack of immediate medical response is a critical issue, especially in low-resource settings where healthcare infrastructure is limited and distant from the point of injury.
THE SOLUTION
The University of Washington, in collaboration with local and international partners, is introducing a community-led intervention to bring trauma care closer to where injuries occur. Using a training of trainers model, they seek to increase survival rates among civilians affected by explosive violence by providing lifesaving first responder training to laypersons in the community. Building on two years of partnership with the United Nations Mine Action Service, University of Washington also seeks to create new pathways for collaboration between the mine action sector and emergency health responders.
Community members will be equipped with the skills to deliver immediate trauma care, ultimately enhancing emergency health response capabilities in low-resource conflict settings and providing timely medical aid to those injured by explosive devices.