Setting standards
The Operational Standards for Burn Services in Low and Middle-Income Countries are at the heart of Interburns’ integrated comprehensive approach.
Developed through international consensus by burn professionals living and working in resource-poor settings, the Operational Standards set out realistic levels of human and physical resources that burn units in low resource settings can achieve.
As an evidence-based framework, the Standards can be used as practical guidelines for management and staff to improve outcomes for burn patients at three levels of burn unit: Basic; Intermediate and Advanced.
The WHO says the Standards ‘are an important stepping stone towards improving the health systems to which the vast majority of the world’s burn patients present for care, as well as an important contribution to the overall public health challenge of preventing burns worldwide.’
Download a colour poster of the Standards here
Self assessment
Consultancy
WHO Technical Working Group recommendations on burns care in mass casualty incidents.
Burn mass casualty incidents occur globally and there is a wide variety in the capacity to respond effectively; the need to strengthen burn care capability is evident. While there has been improved professionalisation and standardisation of care for disaster affected communities, led by the World Health Organisation Emergency Medical Team (EMT) initiative, mass casualty incidents (MCIs) resulting in burn injuries present unique challenges.
Burn management requires specialist skills, expert knowledge, and timely availability of specialist resources. While some high-income countries have well-established disaster management plans, including burn specific plans, many do not. The majority of countries where burn mass casualty events occur do not have established plans. Developing globally relevant recommendations is a first step in addressing this deficit and increasing preparedness to deal with such disasters.
Interburns has worked as part of the WHO Technical Working Group to review literature and define and agree on recommendations for burn care in MCIs.
21 recommendations provide a framework to guide national and international specialist burn teams and health facilities to support delivery of safe care and improved outcomes to burn patients in mass casualty incidents.
Read the published article here.