NIHR awards £7 million for the establishment of a joint global surgical research unit

The NIHR Global Health Research Unit, will also establish sustainable research hubs across a range of low and middle income countries (LMICs), over a period of four years until March 2021. Initially, up to five international hubs will be set up across southern, central and western Africa, central and south America, and south Asia.

Universities of Birmingham, Edinburgh and Warwick have been awarded £7 million by the National Institute for Health Research for establishing a joint research unit focused on developing global surgical research.

According to the news reported by EurekAlert!, the unit will be based at University of Birmingham and will be co-directed by Professor Dion Morton, a leading colorectal surgeon from the University of Birmingham’s Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences and Professor Peter Brocklehurst, Director of the Birmingham Clinical Trials Unit.

It also stated that the NIHR Global Health Research Unit, will establish sustainable research hubs across a range of low and middle income countries (LMICs), over a period of four years until March 2021. Initially, up to five international hubs will be set up across southern, central and western Africa, central and south America, and south Asia.

Professor Dion Morton told to the global online news portal that surgical care is one of the major unmet needs in global healthcare. He also told that the expertise of the University of Birmingham can now be shared across continents through the NIHR Global Health Research Unit. He also added that through the collaboration with the Universities of Warwick and Edinburgh, the impact of NIHR Global Health Research Unit will be greatly enhanced and expertise will be provided in research training and in improving surgical service delivery to train the future research leaders in the partnered LMIC centres and ways to provide access to and organization of the surgical services will be looked at.

Relations are being developed with local hospital networks, government ministries of health, industry and non-governmental organizations in partnership with the Royal College of Surgeons, to set up pathways to rapidly translate research findings in to evidence-based patient care.

The hub leads will be LMIC surgeons, with each hub supported by UK researchers. These researchers will develop and train regional surgical networks that are able to deliver clinical research relevant to their local populations.

The first clinical trial to be run by the NIHR Global Health Research Unit, through the Birmingham Clinical Trials Unit, will test interventions that aim to reduce wound infections following abdominal surgery. This is expected to begin in October 2017 and will take place across multiple international locations.

Professor Peter Brocklehurst said that he is delighted that the NIHR has awarded the Global Research Unit. The award will allow them to work with colleagues from a number of LMICs to establish a large network of hospitals all focused on answering important questions about surgical care, to improve the health of people around the world.

He also added that their first actions include their first clinical trial, which will focus on preventing wound infections following abdominal surgery.

It is one of 33 new research units or groups announced today by The Department of Health. They have been funded by £120 million from NIHR's Global Health Research initiative which has given UK-based universities and research institutes the opportunity to develop and expand their existing global health work.

Health Minister Lord O'Shaughnessy said that the funding allows the universities to strengthen their research and expertise as a leader in Global Health Research. In addition, he told that the UK will continue to be at the forefront of health knowledge and it is only right that they support developing nations in improving care for patients and public.