The International Orthopedic Trauma Collaborative (IOTC) brings together academic institutions in the United States with academic institutions in low-to-middle-income countries.
IOTC is dedicated to reversing the epidemic of trauma responsible for so much death and disability in low-and-middle-income countries by improving access to state-of-the-art orthopedic trauma care. By doing this the full power of these institutions are leveraged to improve access to orthopedic trauma care as well as the quality of orthopedic trauma care delivered in both countries.
Where We Serve
The African Trauma Initiative is providing fellows skills from the following regions. After their fellowship, IOTC works on equipping their hospitals to alleviate the trauma epidemic.
Ethiopia
Zambia
The Democratic Republic of the Congo
Trauma is the new epidemic.
Our History
The African Trauma Initiative developed out of a partnership between orthopedic trauma surgeons from The University of Kansas and Saint Paul’s Millennium Medical College in Ethiopia.
During this partnership, in which the goal initially was to train orthopedic surgeons to deliver state-of-the-art trauma care, it became apparent that this simply was not enough. While the surgeons in this program developed the knowledge and skill to deliver state-of-the-art orthopedic trauma care they lacked the equipment and adequate facilities to deliver this care.
This led to the development of the African Trauma Initiative with the purpose of establishing self-sustaining trauma hospitals in Africa that provide state-of-the-art orthopedic trauma care.
The International Orthopedic Trauma Collaborative was later developed as a 501c3 organization to champion the cause of the African Trauma Initiative as well as to hopefully extend this cause to other low-to-middle-income countries outside of Africa
What We Do
Fellowship & Education
The African Trauma Initiative is dedicated to improving orthopedic trauma care in Africa. We focus on training healthcare professionals in advanced trauma care through collaborative programs with the University of Kansas School of Medicine. This training is vital in ensuring that healthcare professionals are equipped with the latest knowledge and skills to effectively treat orthopedic trauma patients.
Equipping
A key aspect of our work involves equipping these hospitals with the necessary trauma equipment and implants. By providing these essential tools, we aim to close the gap between the availability of skilled healthcare professionals and the resources needed to deliver quality trauma care.
Building
Our primary goal is to establish self-sustaining trauma hospitals across Africa. These hospitals are designed to be centers of excellence, providing not just state-of-the-art orthopedic care but also acting as hubs for ongoing education and research in trauma care.
Research
The research conducted by students at the University of Kansas is key as their efforts are instrumental to understanding how to improve orthopedic trauma care both domestically and abroad. Their research informs our decisions on building hospitals, determining the types of equipment needed, and other critical aspects of healthcare delivery. We have a group of students with diverse educational backgrounds which include Medicine, Business, Film, and Architecture.
Our Team
Meet our Founders, Board of Directors, Executive Directors, and Medical Students.
