Fighting Surgical Infections: Community Collaboration at the GSU Nigeria Hub
One of the most frequent postoperative complications is surgical site infections (SSIs), which can result in substantial burden on patients and healthcare systems. The Community Engagement and Involvement (CEI) team of the NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery in Nigeria took the lead in efforts to prevent SSIs by involving communities and healthcare providers across three sites: Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC) Ile-Ife, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), and Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).
The CEI team implemented “PROJECT REACH” to reinforce the Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs) knowledge on the importance of reducing SSIs at the community level through wound care training. CHEWs are formally trained individuals who provide basic primary care within Nigeria’s healthcare system which include preventive health education, immunisation, maternal and child health services, family planning, and basic medical care.
In Lagos, 103 CHEW leadership and primary healthcare facility participants attended the training.
In Ile-Ife, 146 healthcare providers received training including 31 (CHEWs) from primary healthcare centres, 36 (nurses, pharmacists and doctors) from secondary care facilities, and 78 (nurses and doctors) from OAUTHC’s surgical teams. To ensure accessibility, especially in rural and semi-urban regions, sessions were held in English and indigenous languages. Specially designed learning aids were used which included posters, leaflets, and short videos in English and Yoruba.
The community-focused training successfully bridged gaps in collaboration across different levels of Nigeria’s healthcare system. By leveraging training materials and SSI toolkits, participants showed significant improvements in their knowledge, as reflected in post training evaluations. Discussions also highlighted challenges in navigating patients through the healthcare system, leading to the development of strategies to improve timely access to care for SSIs.
Early signs of impact the training has had include integrating CHEW training on SSIs into routine practice, and providing patients with accessible resources like posters, leaflets, and videos in local languages.
Nigeria Hub starts 2025 working with NAFDAC
The GSU Nigeria team organised a meeting with National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Lagos, from January 8-10th.
The meeting was attended by over 60 professors and researchers from leading spoke hospitals, brought together one of the largest gatherings of surgical researchers in West Africa. This significant event provided an opportunity to reflect on past achievements, receive specialised training on clinical trials and studies from NAFDAC, and discuss exciting upcoming research.
Key highlights included presentations from senior leaders such as Professor Adesoji Ademuyiwa, Director of the NIHR GSU, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, who praised the strength of the research network, and Dr Kamil Soretire, the Director, Health Planning, Research and Statistics of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, who discussed the growth of surgical research in tertiary institutions. Professor Aneel Bhangu also spoke about the potential to continue impactful surgical research through new trials, fostering a generation of new leaders and continuing high impact research. Cortland Linder, Research Fellow in GSU, mentioned ” It was fantastic to meet everyone and learn about all of the inspiring projects going on in the Nigeria Hub”.
The meeting featured updates on several groundbreaking trials, including the Dragon Trial, Penguin Trial, and ongoing studies like Alligator and I3P. Additionally, new pilot randomised controlled trials were introduced, and Dr Omolara Williams, Paediatric Surgeon at Lagos State University College of Medicine, provided valuable insights on community engagement.
The remarks made surrounding pioneering trials included:
Dragon Trial: Investigating the effectiveness of reusable versus disposable drapes and gowns. The trial has started recruiting in Mexico and is expected to launch soon in Nigeria.
Penguin Trial: Testing mouthwash and varying oxygen concentrations to reduce surgical site infections. Ongoing at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, led by anaesthetists.
Alligator Study: Global cohort study capturing data on the management of appendicitis. A total of 63 hospitals are already registered to participate across Nigeria.
I3P and IMPALA Projects: Focus on monitoring foetal and maternal health during childbirth.
New Pilot RCTs:
- Surgpass: Explores using simulation and a co-designed patient passport to reduce deaths after surgery.
- MeerCat: Investigates the use of CT scans before emergency surgery.
- Starling: Examines if stopping antibiotics earlier, when symptoms resolve, is more beneficial than standard treatment.
Following the event, two articles were quickly published in the Nigerian press, Leadership and Worldwide both praised the meeting, noting it would ‘boost surgical research in tertiary institutions.
In conclusion, the meeting launched the Nigeria Hub’s research programme for 2025, uniting prominent experts and researchers to share knowledge, showcase innovative trials, and explore new avenues for impactful studies. The event not only highlighted the impressive progress of ongoing projects but also emphasised the importance of collaboration and community engagement in advancing healthcare. With ground-breaking trials like Dragon and Penguin at the forefront, the gathering reaffirmed the commitment to reducing surgical mortality, improving patient outcomes, and fostering the next generation of surgical leaders. The enthusiastic participation and positive media coverage underscore the significance of this meeting in driving the future of surgical research and practice in Nigeria and beyond.
Scientific Writing Workshop Equips Researchers with Essential Skills
The University of Rwanda, through the Global Surgery Research Hub, in partnership with the Center for Equity in Global Surgery (CEGS) at the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) and Duke University, successfully hosted a two-day Scientific Writing Workshop. Held on January 20th and 22nd, 2025, this online event was designed to help participants enhance their skills in writing original research manuscripts in healthcare and associated sciences.
The workshop focused on the essentials of scientific writing, including structure, storytelling, and clarity of presentation. It was aimed at young researchers, individuals seeking to improve their writing, and participants from diverse healthcare backgrounds. The sessions incorporated practical writing exercises, lectures, and real-world examples from literature to strengthen participants’ writing abilities.
This comprehensive course also included valuable online learning materials from the Global Surgery Unit. Attendees were highly encouraged to participate in both sessions, as the content built progressively.
The workshop was conducted in English and held virtually via the UGHE Butaro Campus in Rwanda.
Workshop Details:
- Session 1: Monday, January 20th, 2025, 2–5 PM CAT (7–10 AM EST)
- Session 2: Wednesday, January 22nd, 2025, 2–5 PM CAT (7–10 AM EST)
This event provided a valuable opportunity for participants to develop their scientific writing skills and advance their research in global health.
Research for Greener Surgery Conference 2024
What better way to wrap up 2024 than an inspiring conference?
In December, we hosted our Research for Greener Surgery Conference at the University of Birmingham, inspiring 400+ UK and international clinicians and academics to make surgery more sustainable. It was great to gather and discuss the latest research advancements in the field, from reusable drapes and gowns to, clean energy for healthcare, sustainability across the patient pathway, reducing the environmental impact of anaesthesia and many more.
A prominent theme across the conference was the need to enforce change and the small ways in which we could make a large impact. Research shows positive changes are taking place – however, there is room for improvement as clinicians, academics, and patients, and events like these offer a unique platform for engagement, dialogue and shared learning.
A highlight from the event was the address from Dr Adewale Adisa, Professor of Surgery from our NIHR(National Institute for Health Research) Global Surgery Unit, Nigeria Hub who spoke about the launch of a world-wide campaign to raise $100 million to equip 100 hospitals across the Global South with secure, clean energy that will help them maintain vital health services and save lives. Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex, Nigeria, have been chosen as a pilot site for the initiative. Adewale expressed his excitement and encouragement to be involved with the project.
It was remarkable to see multiple networks communicating in the same space and sharing their innovative way to make surgery more sustainable. In his final remarks, University of Birmingham Professor Aneel Bhangu said “we are a community with power”. We hope this resonates with all that were in attendance and look forward to continuing to work together to advance sustainability within surgery.
GSU Hosts Webinar on Implementing Community Engagement in the Global South
The Global Surgery Unit (GSU) hosted a webinar on the 5th of November 2024, on delivering Community Engagement and Involvement (CEI) across multiple settings.
During this event, GSU presented three case studies of how it made its research relevant to local communities. The first case study involved patient and carer input in the design of TIGER- an inguinal hernia trial repair that aims to task-shift this procedure to non-surgeon physicians such as GPs in Ghana. You can read more about these findings here and here.
The second case study involved upskilling community health workers on the early signs of cancer in India and surgical site infections in Rwanda. Finally, the third case study involved a discussion on the development and implementation of the GSU patient and community education toolkit.
The event was hosted by the Unit’s funders, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and co-presented by RESPIRE, a global health research group on respiratory health based at the University of Edinburgh.
If you are interested in knowing more about CEI as it relates to global surgical research, you can access our free, self-guided online course HERE.
