Time to change burn care in Nigeria
Interburns was delighted to be invited by the President of the Nigerian Burn Injury Society (NBIS), Dr Ifeanyl Onah, to Abuja, Nigeria on 5th March 2020 to support their aim to improve awareness and treatment of burns in the country.
Nigeria is currently ranked 146 in the world’s poorest countries but also has vast wealth, particularly from oil which was discovered in 1956. In 1998 the country suffered its first mass casualty burn incident in which 1,098 people died and many more were left critically injured. Since then, terrible fire related disasters have occurred regularly, from leaking pipelines that run close to rural villages, to vandalism and tanker accidents. But data and reporting are insufficient and sometimes suppressed, meaning that lessons are not learned and great suffering from burns, continues.
The NBIS estimate that at least 978 people out of 14 surveyed areas suffered burn injuries significant enough to require hospitalisation in 2019, but this figure hides those that never made it to hospital and under reporting. Between 1998 and 2018 an estimated 6,154 deaths were caused by 56 major accidents, a yearly average of 307.7. Data comes from only secondary resources so to this day, the exact figure of those who died, is unknown.
The NBIS has realised that it is time to do something differently, to raise awareness among the population and train healthcare workers to better deal with burns, especially at the community and non specialist level where most burns are first seen.
Professor Tom Potokar and Lucy Kynge are grateful for the fascinating opportunity to find out more about burns in Nigeria and hope that Interburns can help with training needs as part of a broader national strategy in future. Special thanks to Interburn’s Board Member Richard Nnabuko for the introduction, and all those participated in this important Burns Summit.
Dr Richard Nnabuko, Plastic surgeon, Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, Past President NBIS and Interburns Board member.
Dr Ifeanyi Onah, Plastic surgeon, National Orthopaedic Hospital Enugu, President of Nigerian Burn Society (NBIS).
Dr Chinedu Ilokanulo, Plastic surgeon, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Secretary NBIS.
Dr Martins Eerhazele – Medical Centre, Federal Road Safety Corps, Abuja.
Dr Ramatu Hassan – Ophthalmologist, former Director in Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja.
Dr Edith Terna Yawe – Chief consultant Plastic Surgeon, National Hospital, Abuja
Mr Festus Edeifo - Pharmacist, CEO,FATMOMS (wound care products company Abuja).
Dr Anthonia Uduezue – Plastic surgeon, National Orthopaedic Hospital. Enugu.
Dr N Emefiele – Medical Services, Nigerian National Petroleum Company, Abuja.
Professor Tom Potokar, O.B.E. Interburns Director, Director Centre for Global Burn Injury Policy and Research (CGBIPR), Hon Consultant Plastic Surgeon.
Lucy Kynge, Programme Manager, Interburns.
Joined at dinner by: Dr Ehighibe Amaka- Plastic surgeon, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital representing Dr Abubakar, Chairman LOC, NBIS 2020 Congress.