Training in the Gambia
Interburns was delighted to join a visit to the Gambia between 18th - 25th November 2025 with partners GamMed and BFirst, who were building on foundations laid in 2024 with general plastic surgery training. The primary aim of the group was to deliver burns-focused education, support clinical decision-making, and continue strengthening the pathway toward establishing the first dedicated plastic surgery service in the country.
The team delivered 3 days of structured training to 63 multidisciplinary participants from across the country. All courses used Interburns’ well-established, context-specific curriculum, ensuring consistency, cultural relevance, and strong participant engagement.
Essential Burn Care was delivered on Monday 17th to 30 participants from the Banjul region, and on Wednesday 19th to 28 staff from outside the capital. Participant feedback was extremely positive, highlighting significant new learning, strong engagement during group tasks, and a need for more regular training opportunities.
Community Burn Prevention (CBP) was delivered on Thursday 20th to 29 participants. The day was valuable for providing insights into community-level burns management practices. Key learning points included:
Traditional healers maintain a government-supported training centre and hold significant influence within local communities.
Some healers actively engage in school-based education for burns prevention.
Management practices include oils, herbs, and honey—some of which share parallels with modern care, though challenges remain around infection risk and delayed hospital presentation.
Some younger medical professionals expressed concerns regarding delayed referrals after traditional treatment.
Our thanks to the faculty - Nikki Allorto, Francis Tegete, Alberta Amissah Nyarko, Tatu Suleimani, Stuart Watson and Siobhan O’Sullivan who were well supported by Dr Amadou Saikou and Dr Daniel Hailemichael Aboye. Thanks also to the fantastic local team who made this trip so enjoyable.