Example: Sierra Leone

Health services in Sierra Leone were stretched to their limit after a protracted civil war and the devastating ebola outbreak. The evaluation of burns services was carried out within this context.

With a ‘relatively’ small population of 8 million, the Interburns team felt that it would be possible to impact the incidence and management of burn injuries within 5-10 years. Training at all levels would be needed to create a motivated and enthusiastic workforce who should be rewarded for progress. While a robust, resilient and sustainable service would take many years to develop, a comprehensive plan and timeframe should be agreed to avoid ‘quick fix’ solutions.

Among the team’s recommendations were: the creation of a National Steering Group for burn care and prevention; agreeing priorities; strengthening the adult and paediatric services in Freetown; and future development of regional and community services.

Accreditation of services and an on-going system of quality assurance and quality improvement were recommended alongside a national strategy to deal with a major incident involving high numbers of burn victims.