Trauma refers to an injury that is physically or emotionally inflicted. Medically, “trauma” refers to a serious or critical bodily injury, wound, or shock. In psychiatry, “trauma” refers to an experience that is emotionally painful, distressful, or shocking, which often results in lasting mental and physical effects. Especially areas in Africa where there is or has been political conflict, trauma is a common cause of human suffering.
Even if the trauma unit personnel are trained in their respective disciplines, the trauma patient will not receive adequate care if the personnel do not know how to work together efficiently and effectively.
The Course
CNIS developed the Trauma Team Training Course (TTT), as well as First Aid training in response to the increasing need for specialized training in this area. The instruction emphasized in the TTT Course is the team, not the individual. Patients who are injured are likely to be cared for by one of several of a technical team made up of clinical officers, anesthetic officers, orthopedic technicians and nurses. The TTT course prepares teams of 5 to care for trauma victims with the limited resources found at African rural hospital and health centers.
The Facts
The Trauma Team Training is conducted as part of the injury prevention programs in Tanzania and Uganda. The first TTT providers course was conducted in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in September 2005. The initial TTT courses were supported by the Wild Rose Foundation of Alberta. More recently, the training has expanded to non-medical personnel. First Aid courses have been developed for school teachers and basic Trauma Team Training is taught to police officers, who are often the first to arrive at a scene of injury. The instructors and participants in the TTT and First Aid courses totals at least 250 participants. 20,000 pupils have benefited from the school traffic safety, conflict resolution and violence prevention programs. Half of these beneficiaries are girls or women.
Trauma Team Training Manuals can be purchased directly from the CNIS.
Assessing the Impact of the Trauma Team Training Program in Tanzania
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