Injury prevention and protection of athletes’ health in Africa

Project overview

In many African countries, the prevention and management of sports injuries are developing in contexts characterised by limited resources, strong organisational constraints, and specific cultural realities. Yet, sport plays a central role, both as a driver of health, social cohesion, and social mobility.

For several years, the ReFORM network has been conducting a series of research and field-based projects aimed at better understanding local practices in injury prevention and management, in order to develop strategies that are adapted, realistic, and culturally relevant.

Projects conducted

Several projects have already been carried out within this framework:

Injury prevention and management in Senegal

A qualitative study conducted among athletes, coaches, and healthcare professionals made it possible to document current practices, as well as barriers and facilitators to prevention across different sports. This work highlights the central and multifaceted role of the coach, the predominance of empirical practices, and the importance of cultural, social, and economic factors in decisions related to athletes’ health.

Projects on concussion in African football

Other studies have focused specifically on concussion in football, a major sport across the continent, in order to explore challenges related to clinical management and the use of assessment tools.

These projects are part of a broader approach aimed at giving a voice to field stakeholders and generating data that are useful for research, practice, and sports policy.

Objectives

The shared objectives of these projects are to:

• document local realities of injury prevention and management;

• identify systemic, cultural, and logistical barriers;

• support contextualised prevention approaches aligned with the Olympic values of safety, equity, and access to sport;

• foster the development of sustainable strategies in low-resource settings.

Future directions and next steps

The next phase of this work will focus on:

• the cultural adaptation of existing injury prevention resources (programmes, guidelines, educational tools);

• the development of accessible educational content for athletes, coaches, and healthcare professionals (short videos, infographics, multilingual materials);

• the implementation of awareness campaigns on injury prevention and athlete health protection, in collaboration with local stakeholders.

These actions are part of the legacy perspective of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, with the aim of creating a lasting impact on health, education, and injury prevention in sport across Africa.