About Us

Why Trauma Care?

5.8 Million Deaths Per Year

Traumatic injury accounts for approximately 5.8 million deaths per year worldwide, and the vast majority of injury-related deaths and disabilities occur in low and middle-income countries. Even more, injuries disproportionately affects the young, working population whose demographic form a country’s economic backbone. Despite the extraordinary need and clear benefits, many low income countries like Uganda still do not have a formal training program in advanced trauma care.

Safe and timely surgical care, including the prompt evaluation and triaging of trauma patients, can prevent nearly 50% of all injury deaths worldwide.

In 2007, Global Partners in Anesthesia and Surgery (GPAS) and local Ugandan faculty collaborated to create an advanced trauma course designed for resource-constrained settings, which was named the Kampala Advanced Trauma Course (KATC).

The KATC Course

KATC is a three day course that teaches assessment, management strategies, and advanced skills for trauma care. In that time, lectures reinforce existing skills including Basic Life Support and general trauma principles. Didactic sessions are held on major categories of trauma, and include information on vulnerable groups such as pediatric, pregnant, and intimate partner violence survivor populations. Simulation models help to teach participants critical skills for stabilizing and resuscitating critically ill and injured patients.

Participants learn definitive skills such as fracture management, saphenous vein cut down, burr holes, and chest tube placement through hands-on simulation using tools that would be accessible to providers even in resource-limited settings. Finally, the course exposes participants to diagnostic and treatment modalities used in high-income countries so that trainees can be aware of resources elsewhere.

Simulation Models

See past KATC participants learning advanced trauma care skills.

Meet Dr. Treasure Ibingira, Course Coordinator

Dr. Ibingira is a General Surgeon with a strong interest in improving quality of trauma care and triage of trauma patients throughout Uganda.

Dr. Treasure Ibingira is joined by Dr. Martha Namugga, a surgeon with longtime experience in trauma research, and a passionate team of trauma experts from local and international communities to organize KATC trainings, improve trauma triage processes, and support systems to increase trauma care capacity throughout Uganda.