The RCSI Institute of Global Surgery is a core partner in a new international collaboration awarded $1.1 million by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The project – Rapid Emergency Skills for Prehospital Optimization, Notification, and Delivery (RESPOND-Guatemala) – will equip Guatemala’s firefighter first responders (bomberos) with lifesaving skills, digital triage tools, and an AI-powered decision-support platform designed to strengthen emergency care from the scene of injury to hospital admission.

RESPOND brings together partners from RCSI, Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School (USA), Roosevelt Hospital (Guatemala City), and Instituto Guatemalteco de Seguridad Social (Guatemala). The mobile health (mHealth) programme will work closely with frontline bomberos to address a critical gap in Guatemala’s health system and create a scalable model for other low-resource settings worldwide.

RCSI’s contribution is led by Professor Juan Carlos Puyana, O’Brien Chair of Global Surgery, and Dr Chiara Pittalis, Research Fellow at the RCSI Institute of Global Surgery, who have played an instrumental role in shaping the project and building the international team. Professor Puyana will serve as Co-Principal Investigator.

At Harvard, Dr. Nakul Raykar (Lead and Co-Principal Investigator) collaborated closely with Dr. Sabrina Asturias (Co-Principal Investigator) of Guatemala to develop the grant application, underscoring the importance of north-south partnerships in tackling global health inequities.

Critical global health challenge

Trauma causes over six million deaths annually. In Guatemala, the absence of a formal prehospital system means that emergency transport is often unaccompanied by medical care.

By providing training in haemorrhage control, airway management, spinal immobilisation, and hospital pre-notification, RESPOND has the potential to save lives and reduce preventable deaths.

Professor Puyana said: “This award demonstrates what can be achieved when institutions across continents come together with a shared vision to save lives. RESPOND will not only transform trauma care in Guatemala but also create a scalable model for other resource-constrained settings worldwide.”

Innovation in care

Professor Cathal Kelly, Vice Chancellor, RCSI, congratulated the team: “This important project exemplifies the power of international collaboration to address urgent health challenges. I warmly congratulate Professor Puyana and the Institute of Global Surgery for their leadership role. This project reflects RCSI’s commitment to improving human health worldwide through sustainable partnerships and innovation in care.”

The RESPOND team will launch its first phase later this year, focusing on developing the mHealth software, validating training modules with Guatemalan bomberos, and preparing for scale-up at Roosevelt Hospital.

Over the next five years, the programme will expand to additional bombero companies and evaluate its impact on trauma outcomes, sustainability, and scalability.