Zambia has a population of over 20 million individuals with only one practicing plastic surgeon to serve the entire country. This shortage leaves a significant gap in the surgical care available for patients with burns and complex reconstructive needs. My mentor, Dr. Powelson, and I plan to travel to Zambia to provide direct clinical assistance as well as hands-on education for local surgeons and trainees in burn reconstruction procedures.
The primary beneficiaries will be the burn survivors of Zambia. Burns are highly prevalent in low- and middle-income countries, and without proper treatment, survivors are left with disabling contractures that can limit mobility, chronic wounds, pain, and psychosocial distress. Children, in particular, can benefit as they make up a large portion of burn victims and whose functional outcomes and quality of life can be dramatically improved with timely surgical intervention.
This project will provide access and care to burn victims in Zambia. We will also assist surgeons of the area and educate them on the principles of burn reconstruction in hope of building an infrastructure to treat future burn injuries. We will also plan on returning at least once every 2 years to continue assisting those who are in need.
Our mission trip helped provide reconstructive surgical care to a community in Zambia with limited access to these services. At Mwandi Mission Hospital, we treated patients with a wide range of reconstructive needs, including children with cleft lip and palate, patients with debilitating burn scar contractures, and children with congenital hand differences such as duplicated or fused digits. Beyond providing surgical care, the experience reinforced how meaningful access to reconstructive surgery can be for patients and families who may otherwise have few options for treatment. I was grateful for the opportunity to work alongside the local team, learn from the community, and contribute in a small way to improving access to safe, effective reconstructive care.
