Expert panel meeting for the update of the Basic First Aid in Africa guideline

20/08/26

Recently, an international expert panel convened in Bujumbura, Burundi, to review and contextualize the evidence for the upcoming update of the Basic First Aid in Africa guideline. This is the third update of the guideline, which was first published in 2011. The update is being coordinated by the International Cooperation Department of Belgian Red Cross-Flanders.

As part of the guideline update process, CEBaP conducted evidence reviews and provided methodological support to ensure that the recommendations are grounded in the best available scientific evidence. The update covered 255 first aid-related research questions. Most questions already had up-to-date evidence summaries available from other projects, while for 41 questions additional evidence reviews were needed, including one newly developed question.

During the expert panel meeting, experts from across Africa and beyond discussed the evidence and its applicability in diverse local contexts, and reached consensus on the final recommendations. The expertise from local experts helps to make sure that recommendations are feasible, acceptable, and relevant to the settings in which they will be used. This can result in context-specific guidance, such as washing hands with cold ash and water when soap is unavailable, using banana leaves to cover burns when sterile dressings are not accessible, and actively discouraging harmful practices such as applying a black stone to snake bites. The meeting also received coverage in the local news (in French).

The Basic First Aid in Africa guideline currently forms the basis of first aid training in more than 18 African countries. The current update will help ensure that these training programmes continue to reflect both the latest evidence and the realities faced by first aid providers in their communities. The updated manual is expected to be finalized by the end of the year and will be freely available for download upon request.

Interested in more examples of context-specific first aid recommendations? Discover them in the First Aid in Africa app.