A three-phase clinical and research capacity-strengthening project for post-collision care
IMPACT is excited to announce that we have been successful in our application to THET’s Global Capacity Building Programme. We look forward to working with THET in partnership with the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the African Federation of Emergency Medicine(AFEM) to further develop our post-collision partnership and deliver a three-phase clinical and research capacity-strengthening project.
This project consists of three phases:
1) A prehospital skills training workshop with a focus on post-collision care
2) An AFEM workshop on research skill capacity development
3) A Priority Setting Partnership (PSP) to identify research needs for post-collision care in South Africa, including community participation
This project will build on our nascent collaboration, strengthen our research partnership and provide a foundation for future research and grant applications. This work is crucial for building prehospital clinical and research capacity in South Africa, fostering collaboration, and guiding future initiatives in post-collision care. The focus on research capacity-strengthening aligns with AFEM’s current strategies for developing an African evidence base for emergency care. This ensures impact beyond this project. Key deliverables include forming the partnership, delivering the workshops, implementing the PSP process, and disseminating results.
The health system in South Africa can be characterised by limited resources, infrastructural challenges, and a critical shortage of trained medical personnel, particularly in prehospital and emergency care. The World Health Organization’s Global Status Report on Road Safety highlights that South Africa is amongst the most affected by road traffic fatalities, with a considerable portion of deaths occurring in vulnerable populations such as children and young adults.
Stakeholders in this project include local healthcare providers, emergency response teams, governmental bodies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and the communities directly affected by road traffic injuries. These stakeholders have diverse needs, ranging from improved medical training and equipment to better road safety laws and public awareness campaigns. These needs are often fragmented, with challenges in coordination and resource allocation, leading to gaps in service delivery and emergency care quality.
Current efforts to address these needs are limited and often uncoordinated. While there are sporadic initiatives by NGOs and some government-led programs, comprehensive, context-specific strategies for post-collision care are lacking. This project’s approach aligns with the priorities of global drivers of change, including the WHO and various international NGOs with a particular focus on post-collision care. This initiative builds on ongoing efforts to strengthen health systems and research capacity in South Africa ensuring that the proposed interventions are sustainable and impactful.
We are not aware of any other research partnerships who have delivered or who are planning to deliver this key, ‘building block’ of clinical support, research capacity building and priority setting framework in South Africa or in any other LMIC.
A well-delivered Priority Setting Partnership (PSP) will enhance our global health partnership for the long term by fostering strong, collaborative relationships among stakeholders, including researchers, healthcare professionals, and local communities. Moreover, successful PSP outcomes will allow us to further demonstrate the success of our partnership, making it more attractive for research grants and expanding the influence and engagement with broader health initiatives and stakeholders.
We have a strong community involvement focus, which further ensures socio-cultural and contextual alignment; promoting acceptability and ownership. Developing research capacity, and through collaboration with the dissemination partners (AFEM, Emergency Care Society of South Africa, Western Cape Emergency Medical Services Research Forum, Gauteng Department of Health Emergency Medical Services, Neonatal And Paediatric Prehospital Information Exchange Community of Practice) continued mentorship and focus on the research priorities will be facilitated beyond this project.
Our approach is informed by extensive experience in post-collision care, and knowledge of the literature, including the World Health Organization’s Global Status Report on Road Safety, which emphasises the importance of comprehensive road safety strategies. We have drawn from successful health partnerships like the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP), which underscores the effectiveness of multi-sector collaboration. The Safe System approach, endorsed by the United Nations, has significantly influenced our methodology; with our particular focus on the recognised neglected area of post-crash care.
Our compliance with national guidelines is ensured by aligning our interventions with existing road safety and emergency care policies in partner countries, such as South Africa’s National Road Safety Strategy, and the guidelines as promulgated by the Professional Board for Emergency Care and the Health Professions Council of South Africa.
Our collaboration with local institutions and stakeholders ensures that our approach is culturally and contextually relevant, promoting ownership and sustainability. By integrating these best practices and standards, we aim to provide clear direction into how we can enhance post-collision care and contribute to the broader goal of reducing road traffic injuries and fatalities in low- and middle-income countries.