Welcome!

Interburns is an international network of expert burn care professionals seeking to transform the global provision of burn care in low and middle income countries (LMICs) through education, training, research and service delivery.

Our vision is a world where the enormous suffering, death and disability caused by global burn injuries have drastically decreased and every burns patient has access to the highest standards of burn care. We believe that all burns patients can receive good quality care despite limited resources. Our motto is ‘tomorrow is too late’, because urgent action is needed to address the terrible suffering burns cause to millions of people across the world.

Burns: The ‘Forgotten Global Public Health Crisis’

Global burn injuries have been described as the ‘forgotten public health crisis’ by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Nearly 11 million people a year suffer burns severe enough to require medical attention: more people are burnt each year than are infected with HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis combined. Survivors of burn injuries are often left unnecessarily disabled and disfigured through inadequate or delayed treatment. Burn injuries cause a huge and unacceptable burden of death and disability, much of which is entirely preventable with a good standard of care.

Some key figures for global burn injuries are:

  • 95% of burns occur in low and middle income countries and 70% of these injuries affect children (WHO figs 2011).
  • The best burn centres in high income countries can save burn patients with burns over 90% of the body’s surface area ; in low and middle income countries deeper burns of over 40% are almost invariably fatal.
  • Burns in India are the commonest cause of death of women between 15-30 years (The Lancet 2009).
  • Fire-related burns are the sixth leading cause of death among 5–14 year olds. Burns are in the top 5 causes of injury that impact child mortality and morbidity and after the age of five, and injuries are the biggest threat to a child’s survival (WHO / UNICEF 2008).

Interburns exists to solve the global burns problem and ensure all burn patients in low and middle income countries can access a good standard of care. With your support, we can end the enormous suffering, death and disability caused by burns. Please join us!