Session 3: Continuum of Care: Emergency Response and Early Car
You are invited to join us for the third session of the webinar series “Ending Childhood Burns in Africa: A Regional Call to Action.”
Session title: Continuum of Care: Emergency Response and Early Care
Date: 21 May
Time: 11:00–12:30 GMT (12:00–13:30 Brazzaville)
Format: Online (Zoom)
This webinar series is a partnership between The George Institute for Global Health and the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, bringing together researchers, policymakers, clinicians, and practitioners to advance a coordinated response to childhood burns across Africa.
Building on previous sessions on burden and prevention, this third session focuses on the continuum of care, examining what happens from the moment a burn occurs through to early facility-based treatment. It highlights a critical window where timely, effective action can significantly influence outcomes.
The session will explore:
- First response and first aid practices at household and community level
- The role of community health workers in recognition, initial care, and referral
- Barriers to timely access to appropriate care, including delays and system inefficiencies
- Early stabilisation and readiness of primary healthcare facilities
- Emergency and definitive care within hospital settings
A key feature of this session is the inclusion of community voice, bringing lived experience from frontline responders and highlighting the realities of influencing care practices in informal settlements.
Speakers include:
- Dr Shweta Gidwani – The George Institute for Global Health
- Dr Jimmy Osuret – Makerere University School of Public Health
- Dr Vanessa Naidoo – World Health Organization
- Dr Lee Wallis – World Health Organization
Community perspective:
- Bahati Shellinah – Village Health Team, Ministry of Health Uganda
Join us as we examine how communities, systems, and frontline providers intersect in the early stages of burns care—and identify opportunities to strengthen response, improve referral, and ultimately save lives.
