On July 4-5, over 40 healthcare professionals, journalists and public officials participated in a workshop organized by AO Alliance and the Burkina Society for Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery (SOBUBOT) under the auspices of the Ministry of Health, in Ouagadougou, the capital city.
The overall objective of the workshop was to identify how, over the course of five years, to improve the care of the injured in the country. Deaths and disabilities resulting from unintentional and intentional trauma continue to rise, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Approximately 5 million people die each year due to trauma, of which about 1.35 million following road traffic accidents. Ninety percent of such deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
The group, led by Prof. Patrick WH Dakoure and S. Christophe Da (Burkina Faso) and Florent Anicet Lekina, came up with five strategic priorities to redress access to adequate trauma care:
- Establish a healthcare roadmap for trauma and orthopedics, and equip identified university and regional hospitals;
- Strengthen the skills of trauma and orthopedics teams;
- Improve information, education and communication, as well as awareness;
- Develop research and documentation on trauma and orthopedics; and
- Operationalize SOBUCOT so that it can support the Ministry of Health.
“It is just the beginning of a long process that will require the mobilization of all stakeholders in the healthcare system of Burkina Faso”, said Dr Claude Martin jr., Managing Director of AO Alliance.
The next step will be to draft the strategic five-year plan 2020-2024 and to secure funding for the country initiative.