Wound Care Education in Ghana

God, your people are dying for a lack of our knowledge.
–Nurse’s prayer at end of wound care program.
Kumasi, Ghana, July 24, 2008

Dear Readers,
The World Health Organization (WHO) has asked the Association for the Advancement of Wound Care (AAWC) to develop guidelines for the treatment of wounds and lymphedema in resource-poor countries of the world. The first part of that initiative was to provide recommendations to the WHO in the form of a white paper. This work entitled, Best Practice Recommendations for Wound and Lymphedema Management, was submitted and accepted by the WHO in March 2008. The WHO then charged us as representatives of the AAWC to visit selected sites to see if the guidelines could be implemented. Dr. John Macdonald, Dr. Mary Jo Geyer, and I were asked to go to Ghana, Africa to identify the local wound care practices, the needs for wound care education, and the local physicians who could help us establish centers of wound care excellence to spread wound care information to all levels of the healthcare system in Ghana. They requested that we spend time teaching their healthcare workers (doctors, nurses, physical therapists, and community health workers) about wound care. We were somewhat intimidated by the task because in a situation like this, you worry how both you and your message will be received.
     The three of us recently returned from our 10 days in Ghana. From morning to night, we all did just what they asked of us. We gave lectures, made ward rounds, visited with healthcare professionals, met government officials, met local officials, and learned from them about their wound care techniques and overall needs. Our visit could not have been better. We, and our message, were welcomed with open arms. Everyone was eager to have better information about wound care in order to provide better care for his or her patients. More than 260 people attended the lecture programs. At the end of our lecture program in Kumasi, the second largest city in Ghana, a nurse was asked to close the meeting in prayer. The quote above is from her prayer. What an awesome responsibility that has been given to us! They are looking to us to provide this knowledge to them so that they can help their fellow countrymen.
     With the support and encouragement of the WHO we have committed to return to Ghana in early 2009 with a team of wound care providers to teach modern, hands-on, wound care techniques in several areas around the country. We are very excited about what we can do to meet the needs of others.
     Please let me know if you wish to join the initiative. We will make the next visit early next year, and follow-up visits are already being planned to continue with education and to evaluate the results of the programs. This could be your chance to make a difference, and help provide an answer to a nurse’s prayer.