Johns Hopkins International Injury Research Unit Participates in the Second Uganda National Injury Forum
In February, Johns Hopkins International Injury Research Unit (JH-IIRU) team members traveled to Kampala to participate in the second Uganda National Injury Forum, organized by the Johns Hopkins University-Makerere University Chronic Consequences of Trauma, Injury and Disability (JHU-MU Chronic TRIAD) program, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Fogarty International Center.
The forum brought together various stakeholders from the field of injury prevention in Uganda. Representatives of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Works and Transport, along with officials from the traffic police and healthcare professionals from Mulago Hospital and other district hospitals participated. Other participants included the deputy dean of Makerere University School of Public Health as well as chairs of various departments of the school, researchers, and students, representatives from the WHO country office, and the Uganda Red Cross and Kampala City Authority, among others. A total of 130 people attended the forum.
Dr. Adnan Hyder, director of JH-IIRU, moderated the plenary session “Forging Partnerships and Collaborations for Translating Research into Action in Emergency Trauma Care,” and Dr. Amber Mehmood, assistant scientist with JH-IIRU, presented on the global burden of injuries and use of trauma registries and emergency and trauma care in Uganda. Nino Paichadze, postdoctoral fellow with JH-IIRU was also a participant in the Forum.
Dr. Adnan Hyder moderates plenary session on partnerships and collaborations.
Dr. Amber Mehmood presents on the burden of injuries.
Other discussion topics included the importance of information in understanding the burden of injuries in Uganda, the importance of human capacity and multidisciplinary collaboration for a common cause.
As part of the forum, three Chronic TRIAD fellows, Ms. Damalie Nsangi, Ms. Barbara Abindabyamu and Ms. Rukia Hamid Namaganda presented their work at a poster session.
Chronic TRIAD fellow, Rukia Hamid Namaganda (left) at the poster session.
The forum, one of the specific aims of the Chronic TRIAD project, was established to promote understanding and policy actions to lessen the impact of chronic trauma, injuries and disability in Uganda.
(Postdoctoral fellow, Nino Paichadze contributed to this report.)