India Hub Reaches Milestone of Training 500+ Practitioners in Wound Management
India reaches key milestone in the Unit’s vision to influence the healthcare landscape using results generated in GSU trials, across the Punjab region.
As shown in previous news articles highlighting the India Hub’s Community Engagement and Involvement (CEI) initiative – a key workstream of each of the hubs across the Unit globally, the team have reported the milestone being reached that will increase awareness on how to reduce wound infection incidence and management amongst local community across India, including the Punjab region, Kolkata and Vellore. Dr Rohin Mittal has been leading the engagements at Christian Medical College (CMC) Vellore, Dr Sonia Mathai at Tata Medical Centre (TMC) Kolkata and Dr Deepak Singh at Chinchpadha Christan Hospital (CCH).
India Hub Manager, Atul Suroy reported that the team have so far managed to travel over 1000km by road where workshops have been co-ordinated in both urban and rural areas, including Doraha, Khanna, Sirhind, Walipur, Hambran, Ayali Kalan, Dakha, Philaur, Raikot, Talwandi Sabo, Barnala and Bathinda. Further to this, Mr. Suroy stated that impact has not only been limited to the community health workers but also local populations, with sessions for local village populations educating them on wound management at home, ointment applications and personal hygiene.
Referral pathways have been created as a result of the various workshops that have taken place, in addition to new channels of communication setup with resident medical practitioners (RMPs’), benefiting the overall footfall of patients accessing the facilities of Christian Medical College in Ludhiana. Recognising the impact of the CEI work undertaken by the hub, the district authority of Punjab has collaborated with GSU CMC to train 2000 accredited Accredited Social Health Ac3vist (ASHAs) of Ludhiana and adjoining 16 districts on Cancer Care, as part of the National Health Mission under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) Government of India.
Further information on the evidence generated for the workshops orchestrated across India can be accessed on our FALCON and CHEETAH pages.
For more information on the India team, click here.
Mexico Hub Travels to Mata Cocuite for Wound Infection Prevention Talks
GSU team continue their rollout of community engagement and involvement (CEI) activities in the Veracruz region, during State Department health bridge for local residents.
Research Doctors Melissa Fragoso and Irani Durán were joined by Diana González (Hub Data Manager) and Adda Guzmán (Hub Finance Officer) to continue with their CEI workstream when the team travelled to Mata Cocuite, a small town consisting of approximately 220 inhabitants just outside of Veracruz. The purpose of the visit was to provide information on evidence-based information on recurring issues in daily life relating to the prevention and detection of wound infections and how to safely manage them.
Approximately 30 individuals attended the drop-in to undergo vision exams, vital sign measurements, haircuts, dental check-ups, and medical consultations that took place on the 16th August. As people arrived, the NIHR team gathered them in groups of 10 for a brief talk on wound care and wound infection prevention, delivered by research physicians Dr. Iraní and Dr. Melissa. Additionally, a demonstration was held on how to properly dress minor wounds at home.
Due to their remote location, these communities face challenges in accessing healthcare centres or primary care physicians. Mexico Hub Manager, Dr. Laura Martinez Pérez Maldonado stated that due to the reason it is crucial to educate theses communities on prevention and basic care, reducing the likelehood of such citizens requiring admission to healthcare facilities that may be problematic to access in the first place.
For more information on the evidence used during these talks, you can visit the CHEETAH and FALCON pages on this website.
For more information on the Mexico team, click here.
Mexico Hub Visits Sempra for Workshop on Wound Infection
GSU Hub discuss the prevention and detection of wound infection during community engagement and involvement (CEI) meeting at Sempra energy company in Veracruz.
CEI Manager Nalleley Ortiz and team from the GSU’s Mexico division were given the opportunity on August 17th to speak to collaborators based at Sempra, an energy infrastructure company based in Veracruz that is committed to fostering secure, ecologically responsible, and dependable access to cleaner forms of energy, globally. The workshop that took place enabled the Mexico team to use results obtained from the CHEETAH and FALCON trials co-ordinated across the GSU network.
During the workshop, Nalleley was able to discuss the various work conducted across the hub’s extensive research portfolio and what the team are looking to accomplish with their national CEI workstream. Following on from Nalleley’s discussion, a presentation was given on the prevention and detection of wound infections and surgical site infections (SSI’s). Attendees were afforded the opportunity to pose inquiries, which ultimately led to a wound cleaning simulation orchestrated by a Research Doctor based in the Mexico team.
Hub Manager, Dr. Laura Martinez Pérez Maldonado reported that given the prevalence of industries in Veracruz prone to occupational hazards, training in wound infection management could be really beneficial to such organisations. Dr. Pérez Maldonado added that given the geographic separation of these industries from medical facilities and health centres, a deep understanding of these subjects could substantially lower the risk of more severe infections.
More information on the Mexico team can be found by clicking here.
India Hub Continues Rollout of Wound Management Training in the Punjab Region
GSU India Hub Team travel to Doraha to train a congregation of Community Health Workers for latest Community Engagement and Involvement (CEI) initiative.
The latest CEI event had members of the India Hub train 35 Community Health Workers on the identification of infected wounds, related treatment and referral pathways for local patients in and around the village of Doraha, located to the south east of Ludhiana where the India hub is based. The session was led by Dr. Deepak Jain (Surgical Oncologist – Christian Medical College Ludhiana) and Atul Suroy (Hub Manager – GSU India Hub).
The workshop was an interactive one with various discussions taking place between all attendees, with the overall response from those in attendance being very positive when feedback was analysed by the team. The Community Health Workers taking part were very keen to learn the new methods of wound management and requested a similar session to take place on a future date with co-workers based in adjoining areas.
The team orchestrating the event placed much emphasis on hand hygiene and how adopting such practices can reduce wound infections, as evidenced by research undertaken across the Unit, including various hospitals from across India’s spoke network. Research discussed included results generated from the completed CHEETAH and COVIDSurg projects, and the impact the evidence has had on millions of people living in the Global South and associated government policies in these regions of the world.
You can find out more information on the India Hub by clicking here.
For more information on CEI across the Unit, click here.
Ghana Hub Orchestrates CPD Accredited Workshop on Surgical Site Infections (SSI's)
Ghana Hub collaborates with the Ghana Surgical Research Society, Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, and the Ghana Chapter of West Africa to deliver workshop on SSI’s.
The workshop that took place on the 19th August in Kumasi brought together various health workers that included surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses and perioperative nurses from across Ghana who took part in the event that utilised results from the completed CHEETAH trial. Also in attendance was the President of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, Prof. Samuel Debrah who delivered a keynote speech during the event, in addition to a presentation from Dr. Napoleon Sam of the NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery Ghana Hub, on the CHEETAH trial results.
Other presentations that took place during the event included a discussion on the cost of SSI’s in Ghana and a talk on Community Engagement and Involvement activities in the Hub and the role it has in the research cycle. The keynote speech delivered by Prof. Debrah focused on the global burden of surgical diseases and the novel ways of addressing such burdens that could help prevent SSI’s from taking place following surgery, a leading cause of hospital re-admission for patients undergoing surgical treatment worldwide.
Further information on the event can be obtained via the official University for Development Studies press release.
For more information on the Ghana Hub, click here.
Ghana Hub Director Discusses CHEETAH Results with Key Policy Makers in Ghana
Professor Stephen Tabiri joins Professor Dion Morton to disseminate CHEETAH results and provide an overview of other key projects within the GSU portfolio
NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery (GSU) Co-Director, Professor Stephen Tabiri was joined by GSU Co-Director Professor Dion Morton from the UK to present on various areas of the Unit’s programme to a delegation of stakeholders from across the Ghanaian healthcare sector. Colleagues in attendance at the meeting on the 12th August in Tamale included nurses, midwives, anaesthesthetists, surgeons and media personnel, alongside key policy makers. Key policy makers included the Northern Regional Director of Public Health and Deputy Northern Regional Director of Nursing from the Ghana Health Services.
During the meeting, Professors Tabiri and Morton highlighted the global burden of surgical diseases, the global incidence rate of Surgical Site Infection (SSI) and also novel ways of addressing the burden of SSI such as through the changing of gloves and instruments at the time of wound closure. Following the keynote address, colleagues from the Ghana Hub team were able to present on results generated from the CHEETAH Trial and also discuss the KIWI study that argues against the notion that it is exepensive on health systems to implement CHEETAH.
Other notable areas of discussion included the role of Community Engagement and Involvement (CEI) in the research cycle, with insight into some of the resources developed, following engagements with surgical patients and their relatives on stoma care.. The meeting also enabled the team orchestrating the event to present on some of the new projects being delivered by the Hub including HIPPO, GECKO and TIGER.
You can find out more information on the Ghana Hub by clicking here.
Benin Hub Director Discusses CHEETAH Results at Surgical Conference in Mali
Professor Ismail Lawani travels to Mali to disseminate findings from the CHEETAH Trial to francophone colleagues during national conference
The Benin Hub Director was given the opportunity to present on findings from the trial that recruited 13,331 patients globally during the National Congress of the Soceity of Surgery of Mali (SOCHIMA), that took place in Bamako on the 11th August. During the talk, Professor Lawani was able to discuss how and when surgical practitioners should replace gloves and instruments following surgical procedures to reduce the likelihood of Surgical Site Infections (SSIs) from occuring post-operatively.
Colleagues in attendance included representation from government officials, including ministerial policy makers, in additon to surgeons and various other doctors. Also in attendance were students currently participating in studies within the health sciences. During the presentation, Dr. Lawani was also able to promote the GECKO Study that launched on the 31st July and has already managed to recruit nearly 2000 sites to date.
More information on the Benin Hub can be found by clicking here.
For more information on the CHEETAH Trial, click here.
CHEETAH Results Impact on National Surgical Policy in Rwanda
Rwanda Hub Research Open Day sees healthcare professionals come together to discuss findings from across the Hub’s portfolio of work, including the CHEETAH Trial
The Research Open Day that took place on the 21st July at Lemigo Hotel in Kigali was attended by over 130 delegates, includig the University of Rwanda (UoR) VC representative, various faculty staff, UoR Dean of the Medical School and also surgeons, Spoke teams and medical students who took part in the various sessions hosted by the team throughout the day.
Dissemination of completed study findings took place, followed by a panel discussion between policy makers, academics, researchers, surgeons and hospitals leaders on how to start up taking CHEETAH findings. During the day, junior researchers and medicals students presented their proposal during a dissemination competition where the three best proposals were rewarded as part of surgical research promotion and capacity building. The Rwanda Hub will support each of the winning proposals with both in-kind and financial support to implement their research idea.
Other notable events from the day included one of the Director Generals based at a hospital within the GSU infrastucture recognised for his outstanding support for surgical research undertaken at the hospital he was stationed at.
You can view more information on the Rwanda Hub by clicking here.
India Hub Orchestrate Latest Workshop on Surgical Site Infection (SSI) Wound Care
Nursing and OT trainees take part in dissemination workshop looking into SSI reduction using results from the CHEETAH Trial
The Tata Medical Centre in Kolkata provided the bakdrop for the latest workshop, orchestrated by the India Hub with 48 medical healthcare professionals in attendance, consisting mainly of Nursing and OT Technicians. The meeting provided valuable insight into the concept of SSI for the attendees who were yet to start in their practical training and had little knowledge of the subject. SSI is a leading cause of hospital re-admission for patients post surgery, particularly in low- and middle-income countries and the main focus of the CHEETAH Trial that took place across 7 countries.
A number of the attendees will be working in the community setup such as in community healthcare centres where post-surgical care wound management is often a primary driver for patients seeking medical care in such areas of India. The session enabled attendees to take part in an interactive Q&A session where meeting orchestrators posed various questions to be answered by the attendees. In addition, a visual presntation was also provided to help engage attendees with the topic.
You can find out more on Community Engagement and Involvement activites by clicking here.
Further information on the India Hub can be found by clicking here.
Nigeria Hub Honoured with Plaque for Work Completed to Reduce Surgical Site Infections (SSIs)
Lagos Hub receives plaque during Association of Surgeons of Nigeria event where the team were able to disseminate results from GlobalSurg 2, FALCON and CHEETAH trials
The event that took place at the Sheraton Lagos Hotel between the 24th to the 27th June was attended by a range of stakeholders from across the Nigerian surgical network, with the Nigeria Hub team being led by Professor Adesoji Ademuyiwa and Deputy Hub Director, Professor Adewale Adisa.
The team took part in an hour long session to talk about the outcomes of GlobalSurg 2, FALCON and CHEETAH trials, in addition to hosting a discussion on the need for implementation of the outcomes in Nigeria. During the discussion, the Nigeria Team called for the implementation of the outcomes by Nigeria policymakers as well as Hospital Executives across the country.
During the event, the Nigeria team were also awarded a plaque for the work undertaken by the Hub to recognise their efforts in reducing SSIs and improving patient care across Nigeria. The plaque was received by Professor Adewale Adisa on behalf of the team.
You can view more information on the Nigeria Hub by clicking here.