STREaM Cameroon

Program Overview

Background

Trauma is a leading cause of death and disability in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), particularly in Cameroon, where a higher burden of injury is reported compared to similar settings in the region. Injury research focused on prevention and improvements in trauma care, such as trauma Quality improvement (QI), have led to significant reductions in the burden of injury in high-income countries. Yet, there remain critical gaps in the current trauma research infrastructure in SSA due to limited training opportunities. The Sustainable Trauma Research, Education, and Mentorship Program (STREaM) will seek to fill this gap, building on an existing long-term partnership between the University of California and the University of Buea (Buea) to provide innovative training to Cameroonian post-graduate candidates with a focus on novel, cutting edge quantitative tools.

Our Mission

The Sustainable Trauma Research, Education, and Mentorship Program (STREaM) Cameroon will establish a cadre of graduate trainees with multidisciplinary expertise in Injury prevention and control, quality improvement, and quantitative methods that can address limitations posed by the time-dependent, dynamic, and incomplete nature of trauma-related data.

University of Buea arial view of fountain

Our Vision

The long-term goal of STREaM Cameroon is to train a critical mass of trauma researchers who will work to decrease the burden of trauma in Cameroon through rigorous research, policy, and interventions. Our aim is to establish an Injury Research Center at the University of Buea that will become a national and regional leader in trauma research and training.

Our Goals

STREaM Cameroon aims to accomplish the following objectives:

Train a critical mass of multidisciplinary scientists in trauma research through MPH, PhD, and post-doctoral pathways who will form the foundation for an Injury Center at the Buea
Develop and implement a combination of short, medium, and long-term quantitative and trauma research curricula co-taught by U.S. and Cameroonian faculty to sustainably strengthen existing offerings at the Buea
Provide mentored research opportunities for trainees to apply quantitative skills to trauma QI projects utilizing the partnership’s existing research and data collection infrastructure in Cameroon
Integrate trainee scholars into a robust scientific network through existing international organizations and the creation of a Cameroonian Trauma Network to serve as an ongoing community of practice.

STREaM’s team-mentoring approach aims to build capacity for public health investigators who are able to design, lead, implement and scale innovative, transdisciplinary interventions within Cameroon and the SSA region to improve trauma prevention and treatment outcomes.