1st IBRN Launch Workshop (2019)

Establishing a Sub-Saharan Africa Blast Injury Network

Funded through the University of Southampton GCRF Strategic Development Fund, this pump-priming project is establishing a sub-Saharan Africa blast injury research network to support our wider research agenda.

Developing a Global Network: we are establishing an international blast injury research network through engagement and partnership building activities within sub-Saharan Africa.

We are building new relationships with developing sub-Saharan Africa countries, Angola, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, some of the worst affected African countries in terms of landmine contamination and resulting blast injuries. Working with countries directly affected by blast injuries from landmines and explosive remnants of war offers a unique insight into the political, clinical and policy-making challenges posed by these issues. Engagement with these countries allows us to identify research gaps and health challenges and priorities of these nations, understand current blast injury clinical interventions and ascertain how blast injury research has potential to benefit vulnerable civilian populations.

To maximise the impact of our research, we are developing a network through engagement with in-country stakeholders across multiple sectors including: public health practitioners, academics, clinicians, policy-makers, NGOs and charities. This will provide a platform and route to impact so that our research evidence-base can be utilised to inform future research and investment strategies, decision-making and promote the uptake and translation of research findings into policy and clinical practice. Engagement with these stakeholders also provides opportunities for feedback and opportunities to tailor our research to suit country-specific needs.

Key activities:

1.       Partnership building with the University of Cape Town

2.       Establishing a sub-Saharan Africa Blast Injury Research Network

3.       Organising an international, 1-day blast injury research workshop

4.       Undertake preliminary research activities

View the first report of the IBRN blast injury research workshop in March 2019 here.