Key Issues for Global Equity in Burns

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Unequal burden of burns

Low and middle income countries vs high income countries
The difficulty of accessing safe and affordable surgical treatment in low and middle income countries leaves approximately 5 billion people without proper acute burn management.1
Major barriers for patients and providers include the lack of trained teams, as well as access to equipment and resources.1
Early intervention following resuscitation is crucial for reducing mortality in both adults and children.12
Access to early burn care is pivotal; patients unable to undergo surgical treatment for deep burns in functional areas often develop contractures.12
In some regions, the burden of burns is so great that its impact on local Gross Domestic Product (GDP) exceeds that of diseases such as cervical cancer and HIV (South Asia), and Tuberculosis (Sub-Saharan Africa).13

Vulnerable populations, including the poor, and women and girls, are at higher risk of long-term complications, reducing economic productivity and hindering community integration.12
Female burn patients are less likely than their male counterparts to receive surgical treatment, and are more likely to die during their hospital stay and/or be discharged with a disability.12
According to the WHO Global Burn Registry, women and girls have more severe burn injuries, with larger burn sizes and more frequent inhalation injuries.12

Burns to functional areas, such as arms and legs, are more common in women.12 These injury patterns have significant long-term implications for disability and functional recovery, often requiring treatments and resources that are limited in LMICs.12

Children and the elderly are two groups that are most vulnerable to fire related injury and death.14,15
Children in low-income countries are more frequently burned than those in high-income countries.5,14
The elderly over 65 years, experience the worst anticipated outcomes due to their vulnerability to malnutrition, altered mental status and infection.16

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