The rural community site of the Equi-INJURY Project in South Africa is the Ngqamakhwe Community. Ngqamakwe is located in the Amatole District Municipality of the Eastern Cape province in South Africa. The community has 33 villages in its locality. Centrally located is the Ngqamakhwe Community Health Centre that services 6 local clinics. The local language is isiXhosa. Lead post-doctoral researcher, Dr Ntombekhaya Tshabalala held a Community Advisory Board (CAB) meeting with local residents to ensure community perspectives are included in the design and delivery of the research. In this episode, we hear some of their views. Ms. Nowelile Mlibali, a CAB member and secretary of the Ngqamakhwe Community Health Center Board, highlighted the need to raise awareness about injury and injury care in the local communities. Furthermore, Mrs. Sindiswa Mpepho, a Ngqamakhwe resident, discussed involving the Community Health Centre Committee in disseminating information about the project and its objectives - to improve quality care for injured individuals in the community. We are committed to partnerships research and will continue to work with the CAB and local community throughout the programme.

NIHR Global Health Group on Equitable Access to Quality Health Care for Injured People in Four Low or Middle Income Countries: Equi-injury

UKRI Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) supported Study title: Knowledge exchange for evidence-informed injury care

Ntombekhaya and Tamlyn from EI South Africa team visited their colleagues in Ghana as part of the knowledge exchange program. Being intentional about expanding knowledge on relevant and sustainable forms of partnership, we explored perspectives from Ghana on this subject.

This second episode features Jane Acquaye. Jane is a Research Assistant within the EI Ghana team. Jane shares her views on equitable partnership.

Mutual respect, trust and benefit are key elements. Central to data accuracy and mutual goals is community engagement and active participation. Workshops need to respect community priorities, enabling and allowing them to discuss issues that are important to them.

For more insights and perspectives on equitable partnership and injury care, continue listening to our episodes.

NIHR Global Health Group on Equitable Access to Quality Health Care for Injured People in Four Low or Middle Income Countries: Equi-injury

UKRI Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) supported Study title: Knowledge exchange for evidence-informed injury care

Ntombekhaya Tshabalala in South Africa and Derbew Fikadu in Rwanda worked together with Agnieszka Ignatowicz (University of Birmingham) and Lucia D’Ambruoso (University of Aberdeen) on a recent Equi-Injury stakeholder workshop in Rwanda. It was this south-south knowledge exchange workshop that culminated to this podcast.

Here, they share their views on what they believe is the existing most common form of partnership, often one directional serving the interests of some while leaving others stagnant. They identify challenges to this partnership, including the undermining of indigenous knowledge and ignoring people's innate abilities.

Despite the challenges, they acknowledge that well-intentioned partnerships exist and see the Equi-Injury project as a springboard for various stakeholders, including those whose voices are often marginalized, to introspectively examine their actions, share lessons learned, and encourage uncomfortable conversations. When we respect, appreciate and see people as unique individuals, this opens way for equitable partnerships.

Stakeholders in the Equi-Injury project are encouraged to "throw away the box". Informing equitable partnerships, everyone is invited to "watch this space."

NIHR Global Health Group on Equitable Access to Quality Health Care for Injured People in Four Low or Middle Income Countries: Equi-injury

UKRI Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) supported Study title: Knowledge exchange for evidence-informed injury care