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Trauma care in Malawi: A call to action
Mulwafu, Wakisa; Chokotho, Linda; Mkandawire, Nyengo; Pandit, Hemant; Deckelbaum, Dan L.; Lavy, Chris & Jacobsen, Kathryn H.
Abstract
Injuries are a global public health concern, because most are preventable, yet they continue to be a major cause of death and disability,
especially among children, adolescents, and young adults. This enormous loss of human potential has numerous negative social and
economic consequences. Malawi has no formal system of prehospital trauma care, and there is limited access to hospital-based trauma
care, orthopaedic surgery, and rehabilitation. While some hospitals and research teams have established local trauma registries and
quantified the burden of injuries in parts of Malawi, there is no national injury surveillance database compiling the data needed in order
to develop and implement evidence-based prevention initiatives and guidelines to improve the quality of clinical care. Studies in other
low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have demonstrated cost-effective methods for enhancing prehospital, in-hospital, and post-discharge
care of trauma patients. We encourage health sector leaders from across Malawi to take action to improve trauma care and
reduce the injury burden in this country.
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