Surgical healthcare: How Sub-Saharan Africa is translating global, regional, and national policy into action
Main Article Content
Abstract
Nearly one-third of the global burden of disease is due to surgical diseases. In low and middle-income countries, nine out of ten people are unable to access safe, timely, and affordable surgical care. While more global policies are focused on building surgical capacity in low-resource settings, there have been limited ways to implement these policies in Sub-Saharan Africa. This research describes a novel model designed to accommodate the collaborative effort required to translate global and regional surgical policies into action throughout the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Member-States.
Through innovative platforms, national surgery policies have been developed, revised, and implemented in several SSA countries. Additionally, policy advisement, research opportunities, and diverse stakeholder opportunities have been created to improve surgical care where it is needed most. This model may provide a framework that may be used or modified in other regions of the world.
Article Details
The Medical Research Archives grants authors the right to publish and reproduce the unrevised contribution in whole or in part at any time and in any form for any scholarly non-commercial purpose with the condition that all publications of the contribution include a full citation to the journal as published by the Medical Research Archives.
References
2. Shrime MG, Sleemi A, Ravilla TD. Charitable platforms in global surgery: a systematic review of their effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, sustainability, and role training. World J Surg. Jan 2015;39(1):10-20. doi:10.1007/s00268-014-2516-0
3. Ologunde R, Maruthappu M, Shanmugarajah K, Shalhoub J. Surgical care in low and middle-income countries: burden and barriers. Int J Surg. 2014;12(8):858-63. doi:10.1016/j.ijsu.2014.07.009
4. Alkire BC, Raykar NP, Shrime MG, et al. Global access to surgical care: a modelling study. Lancet Glob Health. Jun 2015;3(6):e316-23. doi:10.1016/S2214-109X(15)70115-4
5. Mock CN, Donkor P, Gawande A, et al. Essential surgery: key messages from Disease Control Priorities, 3rd edition. Lancet. May 30 2015;385(9983):2209-19. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60091-5
6. Assembly TS-EWH. WHA68.15 Strengthening emergency and essential surgical care and anaesthesia as a component of universal health coverage. 2015.
7. Assembly TSWH. WHA 70.22 Progress in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 2017.
8. Assembly TS-SWH. WHA 76.2 Integrated emergency, critical and operative care for universal health coverage and protection from health emergencies. 2023.
9. Hyman GY, Park KB. Surgical Care In The Global Health Agenda: The Role Of Frontline Academic And Clinical Practitioners In Implementing World Health Assembly Recommendations [Opinion]. 2024. Journal of Global Surgery (ONE).
10. SADC I. Communication and Public Relations Unit of the SADC Secretariat. 2018. SADC Secretariat Monthly Newsletter. https://www.sadc.int/sites/default/files/2021-08/Inside_SADC_October_2018_mail...pdf
11. SADC I. Communication and Public Relations Unit of the SADC Secretariat. 2019. SADC Secretariat Montly Newsletter. https://www.sadc.int/sites/default/files/2021-08/Inside_SADC_-_November_2019.pdf
12. Makasa EM. Access to emergency and essential surgery obstetrics trauma and anaesthesia healthcare: a contemporary overview. Journal of Public Health and Emergency. 2021;5(8):8. doi:10.21037/jphe-2020-gs-12
13. Peters AW, Pyda J, Menon G, ESuzuki E, Meara JG. The World Bank Group: Innovative financing for health and opportunities for global surgery. Surgery. 2019;165(2):10. doi:10.1016/j.surg.2018.07.040
14. Reddy CL, Peters AW, Jumbam DT, et al. Innovative financing to fund surgical systems and expand surgical care in low-income and middle-income countries. BMJ Glob Health. Jun 2020;5(6)doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2020-002375
15. Peters AW, Roa L, Rwamasirabo E, et al. National Surgical, Obstetric, and Anesthesia Plans Supporting the Vision of Universal Health Coverage. Global Health: Science and Practice 2020;31(8):9. doi:10.9745/GHSP-D-19-00314
16. Truche P, Shoman H, Reddy CL, et al. Globalization of national surgical, obstetric and anesthesia plans: the critical link between health policy and action in global surgery. Global Health. Jan 2 2020;16(1):1. doi:10.1186/s12992-019-0531-5
17. Alayande BT, Seyi-Olajide JO, Fenta BA, et al. The Pan-African Surgical Healthcare Forum: An African qualitative consensus propagating continental national surgical healthcare policies and plans. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2024;4(11):e0003635. doi:10.1371/journal.pgph.0003635
18. Organization WH. Action framework for safe and affordable surgery in the Western Pacific Region (2021-2030). 2021. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/340914
19. Torres Perez-Iglesias C, Hill SK, Jhunjhunwala R, et al. Strengthening surgical, obstetric, and anesthesia care in the Americas: a call to action. Lancet Reg Health Am. Jun 2023;22:100499. doi:10.1016/j.lana.2023.100499
20. Pakistan MoNHSRCGo. National Vision for Surgical Care 2020-2025 The Official Launch fo Pakistan’s National Surgical Plan. 2021. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5c838b3aab1a621eed7c5c41/t/61b70ccab53991068763c42c/1639386319817/Pakistan+NSOAP_report.pdf
21. Burssa D, Teshome A, Iverson K, et al. Safe Surgery for All: Early Lessons from Implementing a National Government-Driven Surgical Plan in Ethiopia. World J Surg. Dec 2017;41(12):3038-3045. doi:10.1007/s00268-017-4271-5