Strengthening trauma care in South Africa: Tier 1 integration of emergency first aid responder (EFAR) programmes with emergency medical services.
African journal of emergency medicine · 2026-05-29 · Other / unclear
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Trauma accounts for approximately 4.4 million deaths annually and remains the leading cause of mortality among young adults worldwide. In South Africa, interpersonal violence and road traffic crashes strain already overstretched Emergency Medical Services (EMS). The Emergency First Aid Responder (EFAR) addresses this gap through a community-based Tier 1 prehospital model that delivers early trauma care before formal EMS arrives. AIM: This commentary reflects on the integration of EFAR programmes as a Tier 1 EMS component, drawing on implementation experience across rural and urban communities in the Western Cape, South Africa. APPROACH: Drawing on a decade of EFAR implementation experience across the province, we describe the Tier 1 integration framework and present operational learnings from two purposively selected, contextually contrasting sites: Merweville (remote rural, Central Karoo) and Kuilsriver (high-density urban, Cape Town). Data from routine programme monitoring and quality assurance are used as illustrative experiences informing the commentary. KEY IMPLEMENTATION LEARNINGS: Both sites highlight the importance of standardised training, defined activation pathways, integration with a formal EMS communication system, support and community ownership. In Merweville, routine programme records documented 112 emergency responses by the EFARs, with 69% of these resulting in ambulance transport and a median time to first care under 10 minutes against a background EMS response exceeding 90 minutes. In Kuilsriver, 58 documented responses between May and December 2024 suggested rapid group activation, with EFARs frequently arriving before the formal EMS. These learnings illustrate how EFARs may strengthen access to early care and coordination with formal EMS. CONCLUSION: Effective EFAR integration constitutes a context-sensitive framework rather than a one-size-fits-all model. When formalised within EMS regulatory structures, these programmes demonstrably extend system capacity, reduce time to first care, and strengthen community resilience - offering a scalable blueprint for low- and middle-income countries facing prehospital trauma care deficits.
Tags
Bystanders & volunteers · Implementation · Interagency collaboration · Low- and middle-income settings · Rural & remote · Urban