Executive Summary

28 million people die annually from medical emergencies, representing half of the world’s mortality. In Africa, emergencies annually contribute to 262 years of life lost per 1,000 persons, compared to 129 years globally. Few patients have access to the life-saving treatments for time-sensitive medical conditions that emergency departments (EDs) and emergency medical systems (EMS) effectively provide in developed countries. Utilizing existing ED infrastructure, our project initially builds EDs and EMS across three countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. We partner with hospital and governmental leaders to replicate proven training programs that we launched in Ghana in 2009. We integrate these programs with remedial business best practices, digital information systems, pre-hospital transport and community-based primary care. Emergency-related deaths and disabilities will fall. The number of people who receive care will rise while per patient costs plummet. We will enhance preparedness for large-scale emergencies. We will make emergency care more accessible and financially inclusive.

COVID-19 Response

Michigan Medicine is fully integrated into the COVID-19 response locally, and its partners in Ethiopia, Ghana, and Tanzania have been actively working in their local settings. Through these partnerships, knowledge and best practices are being exchanged to ensure patients are receiving the best possible care, while protecting the frontline healthcare workers. Their original proposal creates infrastructure that is the back bone of a locally responsive Emergency Medical System (EMS): these systems are being utilized all around the globe as a core strategic components of pandemic preparedness and management. Early identification, documentation and management of large-scale emergencies are central to the mission of EMS. They see an opportunity to leverage newfound public interest in pandemics into their work.

Racial and Ethnic Injustice Response

Emergency medicine treats each life as valuable and strives to prevent disability and death by increasing access to quality healthcare for everyone. As a basic tenet, every Emergency Medical System (EMS) is inclusive, providing care without thought to race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, religion and class. Health inequity/inequality is associated closely with access and poor outcomes for certain populations. A well designed, effectively implemented and locally responsive emergency medical system will provide the ecosystem to improve health outcomes for all, especially the traditionally marginalized - our partners are committed to providing equal access to care while showing patients respect, fairness and kindness.