Reaching Out
Transforming Lives

Trauma is rapidly becoming a major cause of death and disability in Africa. As the continent
continues to develop, road infrastructure, building and industrial employment are resulting in
increasing numbers of trauma victims, but with little in the way of coordinated trauma care
facilities.

NOTAA has been established by a group of health care professionals from the North West of England
to support the development of sustainable Orthopaedic Trauma services in Africa. We engage with
all staff groups working in Orthopaedic Units around the North west to enable volunteers to
collaborate to improve the treatment of patients in Africa

Our current NOTAA projects are centred
in Malawi and Ethiopia

Our Malawi project (Orthopaedic Implants for Malawi) has been running since 2011, in partnership
with fully trained Consultant Orthopaedic surgeons at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Blantyre,
Malawi. In 2012, it became apparent, that despite having operating theatres and trained
surgeons, patients were frequently left untreated due to lack of equipment and implants. A fund
raising initiative was set up to help purchase low cost implants and instruments from India.
This has enables patients to be treated using modern surgical techniques, resulting in better
outcomes. Patients who previously assumed they were unable to continue to work and support there
families, now had an opportunity to do so. We estimate that approximately 600 patients per year
who would have otherwise been left with a permanent disability have now had high quality
surgical treatment and a chance to return to a normal life. The additional benefit of this
program, which will probably have the best long term benefit to patients in Malawi, is that
provision of the implants has enabled two new orthopaedic surgeons to fully trained in modern
surgical techniques. This has helped created the next generation of orthopaedic surgeons in
Malawi.

Our Ethiopian project (Trauma Education in Ethiopia) has been running since 2016. Through this
we support the development of a new Trauma Centre in the city of Hawassa in Southern Ethipia, as
well as the national Ethiopian Orthopaedic training programme in Addis Ababa. In Ethiopia our
work focuses on enhancing the personal and professional development of health care professionals
caring for victims of trauma through a program of education and training. The Ethiopian
government has rapidly increased number of doctors and nurses in the country, but there are very
few people with knowledge and experience of trauma and orthopaedic surgery to provide training
and education in this important field. By mentoring and supporting all staff groups we work
with, we aim to deliver long term improvement in trauma care hence reducing the burden of trauma
on patients in developing countries.

To deliver its goals NOTAA has already established strong working relationships with a number of
organisations : AO Alliance Foundation (AOAF) (based in Switzerland), Australian Doctors for
Africa (ADFA), and Manchester University Medical School and we have identifed common goals and
areas for collaboration.

It is envisaged these links will strengthen as NOTAA evolves. The long term goal is to establish
an organisation that brings together and coordinates the widespread humanitarian experience and
commitment already present within the North West Orthopaedic Community involving all staff
groups.

Thank you so much for taking care of me. So pleased with the results of my operation.

~Karen, Manchester