AIRS Project

Using the consolidated framework for implementation research (CFIR) to evaluate Africa Infrastructure Relief and Support (AIRS)

  • Ima Chinedozi, MD, MPH
  • Nivedita Kumar, BS, MPH (c)
  • John Sampson, MD
  • Ifeoma Ekwere, MD

To improve oxygen access in West Africa, Johns Hopkins GAPP partnered with the Society of Critical Care Medicine to launch the Africa Infrastructure Relief and Support Project. Funded by the Direct Relief fund this initiative facilitated implementation of solar oxygen plants in 3 sites in West Africa in the Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. To promote a sustainable intervention, the consolidated framework for implementation research was utilized to guide implementation and ensure partnerships with local governments and administration would create a lasting oxygen system.

Ghana Project

  • Kemi Tomobi, MD, MEHP – US-Based Director
  • Ama Kwakyewaa Bedu-Addo, MBBS – Ghana-Based Director
  • Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH)
  • John B. Sampson, MD
  • Kofi O. Owusu, MD
  • Kelvin Ampem-Darko, MD
  • Ima Chinedozi, MD, MPH, PhD

To improve labor and delivery care in Ghana, JHU-GAPP launched the Labor Anesthesia Initiative, with Dr. Kemi Tomobi and Dr. Ama Bedu-Addo serving as project directors. The initiative focuses on working with partners at Ghanaian University hospitals to expand access to safe and effective labor pain management in Ghana, where epidural use remains very limited.

In Ghana, epidural pain management is seldom offered to laboring patients for a variety of reasons. This project has a research component, a health service delivery component and a public awareness component.

It is part of a broader effort to strengthen maternal health systems in Ghana and improve outcomes for women and newborns.

Nigerian PICU Initiative

Support the pediatric ICU at the Enugu State teaching hospital and support the development of PICU in the 6 major regions of Nigeria

  • Dr. Odiraa Nwankor, MD – U.S.-Based Director
  • Dr. John B. Sampson, MD
  • Dr. Ifeoma Ekwere, MD, MPH
  • Ima Chinedozi, MD, MPH, PhD
  • Kemi Tomobi, MD, MEHP

To improve pediatric critical care in Nigeria, JHU-GAPP launched the Nigerian Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) Initiative under the direction of Dr. Odiraa Nwankwor, in collaboration with the Society of Critical Care Medicine and Nigerian pediatricians. The initiative supports the PICU at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) in Enugu State and aims to expand PICU services across the six major regions of Nigeria.

The initiative includes components focused on research, clinical service delivery, and capacity building. It fosters collaboration between Nigerian pediatricians and international partners to enhance the delivery of pediatric critical care and broaden access across the country.

This work is part of a larger effort to strengthen pediatric health systems in Nigeria and improve outcomes for critically ill children.

Voices from the Frontline: A Qualitative Study Evaluating Patient and Provider Perspectives of Oxygen Scarcity

  • Ima Chinedozi, MD, MPH
  • Ifeanyi Chinedozi, MD, MBA
  • Girmachew Wasihun, MPH
  • Nivedita Kumar, BS, MPH (c)
  • Elizabeth David, PhD
  • Ifeoma Ekwere, MD, MPH, MBA
  • Obed Flomo, BS
  • Benedict Kolee, MD
  • Kezelebah Goyah, MD
  • John Sampson, MD

To understand barriers and facilitators to oxygen treatment, qualitative interviews were conducted with providers, patients, and patient families. These interviews provided an insight the common challenges that emerge with limited oxygen availability which include financial burden, attrition of medical knowledge, and physician burnout. Capturing these perspectives, helped the GAPP team better understand the needs of each facility and design tailored programs for each hospital.

Impact of Oxygen and Energy Infrastructure Improvement on Mortality and Patient Outcomes in Low-Resource Hospitals: A Prospective Cohort Study in Gambia

  • Ima Chinedozi, MD, MPH
  • Nivedita Kumar, BS, MPH (c)
  • Tsegaye Hundie, MD, MPH
  • Folayemi Faponle, MD
  • Antouman Jagne, RN
  • Sabina Kangakan, MD
  • Ifeanyi Chinedozi, MD, MBA
  • John Sampson, MD

GAPP helped establish a research rounding team composed of medical students and nurses in the Gambia that tracked hospital and patient variables over a 10 month period. Data from the following wards was collected: adult and pediatric emergency, ICU, operating room, labor and delivery, and general. Patient-level outcomes, including all-cause mortality, were assessed in relation to hypoxia time delays.

Closing the Gap on Oxygen Education: Implementing the DIMAHP Education in West Africa

  • Ima Chinedozi, MD, MPH
  • Nivedita Kumar, BS, MPH (c)
  • Ifeanyi Chinedozi, MD
  • Reade Tillman, MD
  • Gaurav Shreshtra, MD
  • Gifty Agymenag, MD
  • Oluchi Ogbonna, BS
  • Ifeoma Ekwere, MD
  • Folayemi Faponle, MD
  • Uchechukwu Agwu, MD
  • Oluwakemi Tomobi, MD
  • Victoria Alex, MD
  • Dawda Jammeh, NP
  • Antouman Jagne, NP
  • Sulayman Jallow, N
  • Isatou Camara, RN
  • Michael Banks, MD, Med
  • John Sampson, MD

A didactic course on the diagnosis and management of hypoxic patients was administered to healthcare providers who use oxygen in tandem to the oxygen implementation to ensure safe practices that would also results in better integration of the new systems in medical practice. This training was initiated by GAPP team members in Liberia and the Gambia, and in the Gambia, 5 local champions were identified to continue the trainings to broaden the impact and build local research capacity.