Global ICU Capacity and Geographic Accessibility - Central Africa

Build and validate a region-wide inventory of intensive-care capacity and geographic accessibility across Central Africa. The study will verify ICU facilities and capability level using traceable public or institutional sources; geocode facilities; quantify facility and, where available, bed/workforce density; and estimate population access using reproducible travel-time methods. Analyses will identify geographic gaps, rural–urban inequities and candidate priority areas for network expansion, referral redesign or further country-level validation. Results will feed the broader microscopIA Global ICU Observatory.

This project is designed to produce decision-relevant evidence for clinical practice, health-system planning or research. Participation combines applied training, verifiable scientific work and contribution to a publication-quality manuscript.

Cross-sectional health-services study combining provider/facility verification, geocoding, resource density, population data and travel-time modelling to quantify accessibility and inequities.

Official registries, ministries of health, scientific societies, professional directories, hospitals and verifiable institutional sources, combined with population and transport-network data.

Participants will be assigned countries or territories within the region and work under a common global protocol. • Identify and verify ICU facilities using traceable sources. • Classify ICU capability using the project data dictionary. • Verify addresses, coordinates and duplicate facilities. • Extract beds, workforce or service-capability data when publicly verifiable. • Complete country-level quality-control checks and source documentation. • Contribute to interpretation, regional comparisons and manuscript preparation.

microscopIA is designed so participants can progress at their own pace within project deadlines. Work is primarily asynchronous and there is no fixed weekly schedule. An average commitment of 5–7 hours per week is anticipated and can be distributed flexibly. Mandatory meetings are kept to the minimum necessary. Under a self-governance model, each team may choose to meet more often when that improves coordination. The key expectation is to complete agreed tasks and deadlines to a high standard. The model is designed to remain compatible with medical school, rotations, clinical duties, call schedules and other professional responsibilities.

Multicountry research Capacity verification Geocoding and accessibility analysis Equity interpretation

All participants will receive the Global ICU Observatory data dictionary, facility-verification workflow, geocoding rules, source hierarchy and quality-control protocol. microscopIA will provide methodological oversight for GIS, accessibility modelling and cross-region harmonization; senior ICU experts will support clinical classification and interpretation.

Expected outputs include a validated ICU facility database for Central Africa, reproducible geospatial accessibility analyses, regional maps, health-system gap indicators, and contribution to the Global ICU Observatory manuscript series.

Manuscript intended for submission to a PubMed-indexed journal; preprint whenever appropriate.

Open to microscopIA members and external applicants of any nationality.

Medical students, junior doctors and early-career professionals interested in Critical Care Medicine, Travel-Time Analysis, with attention to detail, independence and the ability to deliver high-quality work in a flexible environment.

No specific certificate is required. Project-specific onboarding and calibration are mandatory.

microscopIA will cover approved article-processing or publication fees for the anticipated manuscript. Participants will not be required to personally pay approved publication charges. Coverage is subject to the project reaching manuscript quality, compliance with the approved protocol, and submission through the microscopIA research program.

The project is designed to produce a substantive research record and a manuscript intended for submission to a PubMed-indexed journal. Authorship is contribution-based and follows ICMJE criteria: substantial contribution to the work, drafting or critical revision, final approval, and accountability. A preprint will be prepared whenever appropriate. Poster presentation opportunities may be assigned based on project performance and conference fit. Certificates, reference letters and other academic documents remain subject to the applicable microscopIA Membership and Project Terms.

Each participant may declare a maximum of two institutional affiliations. Format: Department, Organization (Hospital, University, Company), City, Country.

Jorge Racedo at microscopIA; Dr. Joseph L. Nates at The University of Texas MD Anderson. Senior clinician or subject-matter expert allocated by microscopIA.