Global Surgery Event Recordings
The Global Surgery Foundation hosts well-received global surgery events. Learn more and re-watch all of them below.
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2023 Global Surgery Event Recordings
WHA76 Moving Dialogue to Implementation: Sustainable Financing
Building upon the highly successful WHA75 side event in May 2022, the Global Surgery Foundation (GSF), along with 10 co-sponsoring member states, hosted a special side event with the main goal of moving the dialogue about financing for surgical care systems to the implementation phase: Strengthening Health Systems through upscaling Surgical Care.
More information is available here.
Watch now: Implementing Value-based Healthcare
The Global Surgery Foundation, UNITAR, and Takeda hosted an online event discussing Value-Based Healthcare Implementation to Improve Care for the Patient. The panel delved into essential elements of value-based healthcare pilot projects and underscored the importance of a human-centered approach.
More information is available here.
Routine Sterile Glove And Instrument Change At The Time Of Abdominal Wound Closure To Prevent Surgical Site Infection
This event examined the featured paper to discuss the practice of sterile glove and instrument change at the time of abdominal wound closure as a method for reducing the risk of surgical site infection (SSI), with a focus on implementing this practice in low-income and middle-income settings. SSIs are a well-known complication of abdominal surgery worldwide, with disproportionate impacts on patients in low- and middle-income settings. The evaluation of this paper aims to discuss the findings and whether this intervention demonstrates reasonable evidence for implementation in standard practice within low- and middle-income countries.
More information is availbale here.
More Global Surgery Event Recordings
Cervical Cancer - Strengthening The Surgical Workforce
Cervical cancer is the fourth most frequent cancer among women and nearly 90% of deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries in 2018, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Cervical cancer is developed by nearly 600,000 women with over 300,000 deaths annually, impacting the lives of many women and girls.
Following the second anniversary of the WHO’s Cervical Cancer elimination initiative, the Global Surgery Foundation (the GSF) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) invite you to a roundtable discussion on how we can improve cervical cancer treatment and strengthen the surgical workforce, especially in low-income and resource-limited settings.
More information is available here.
Breast Cancer: Moving From Policy To Practice
Breast Cancer continues to be a major global health challenge, claiming the lives of more than 685’000 women in 2020, globally. Over 2 million new cases of breast cancer were diagnosed in women in 2020, worldwide. Cancer care remains a priority and many countries have developed National Cancer care plans, strategies, and policies to combat the growing burden. However, despite the adoption of such policies and plans, there is still a gap in implementing them. What are some of the main challenges in translating policy to practice for Breast Cancer and how can we overcome them?
On the occasion of Breast Cancer awareness month, the Global Surgery Foundation (the GSF) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) have joined forces to host this webinar.
Watch now and learn more about how we can translate policy to practice, fostering a comprehensive approach to improve outcomes for Breast Cancer, especially in low-income and resource-limited settings.
More information is available here.
Pre-Hospital Synergy: Tranexamic Acid And Blood Transfusion In Patients At Risk For Haemorrhage
Hemorrhage remains a leading cause of death after injury. Evidence-based strategies to manage the bleeding trauma patient in hospital have led to a reduction in hemorrhagic deaths, however there is less evidence to support similar pre-hospital interventions. Some strategies, such as early blood product administration and the use of tranexamic acid (TXA), may be extrapolated to the pre-hospital setting, however the utility of combining these interventions remains unknown.
The STAAMP trial was a randomized controlled trial evaluating the use of pre-hospital TXA to reduce mortality in injured patients at risk for hemorrhage. Secondary analysis of the data from this trial is presented in the article to be reviewed (Pre-hospital synergy: Tranexamic acid and blood transfusion in patients at risk for hemorrhage Deeb et al, J Trauma Acute Care Surg April 2022), which seeks to determine if receiving prehospital blood transfusion in addition to TXA is associated with a reduction in mortality. This session will provide a critical appraisal of the article, as well as clinical review of the topic by experts in the field.
More information is available here.
Overcoming the Final Hurdle for Global Surgery: Sustainable Financing
The Global Surgery Foundation hosted a side-event at the 75th World Health Assembly, entitled Strengthening Health Systems through upscaling Surgical Care: Overcoming the Final Hurdle: Sustainable Financing.
The event brought together high-level leaders from member states, United Nations, academia, civil society, and industry in a discussion panel with a subsequent networking forum.
More information is available here.
Surgical Training - Is Digital Tech Here To Stay?
Organised by the Global Surgery Foundation (the GSF), the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Institute of Global Surgery (RCSI IGS), and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).
In this event, we presented the UN Global Surgery Learning Hub as an upcoming initiative. Learn more here.
Watch this event and learn more about the best practices in the use of technologies to support surgical training, how to identify further opportunities for their application, and how to integrate them to strengthen existing training programmes.
More information is available here.
NSOAP #7: Adopting a pragmatic lens
Simple steps for translating NSOAP policy into action
Following both the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery and the World Health Assembly Resolution 68.15 in 2015, world leaders in surgery, obstetrics and anesthesia came together to produce a comprehensive planning methodology for governments to use to increase capacity in safe surgical, obstetrical and anesthesia care. The National Surgical Obstetric Anesthesia Planning (NSOAP) process offers ministries of health a pathway to integrate surgical planning into their overall national health strategies using a systematic and logical approach.
The NSOAP Manual was launched as part of a 7 event series. This is the 7th and final event. The recordings of all 7 events can be found here. The NSOAP Manual can be downloaded free of charge here.
Official Launch Of Pakistan's Surgical Plan
With the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination, Government of Pakistan, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), Harvard Program in Global Surgery and Social Change, and Indus Hospital & Health Network, we are pleased to have supported the Official Launch of Pakistan’s National Surgical Plan
The event revolved around how to ensure that all Pakistanis have access to safe, timely, and affordable emergency and essential surgical, obstetric, and anesthesia care services so that they may live healthy and productive lives.
You can get more information and download the launch report here. Pakistan National Vision for Surgical Care 2020-25 (NVSC) can be downloaded here.
Nepal NSOAP Orientation Webinar Series
This NSOAP Orientation event marked an important milestone in a roadmap towards formulating an NSOAP for Nepal. It was co-hosted by the Nepal MoHP and UNITAR, in partnership with Harvard Medical School Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), the Global Surgery Foundation (the GSF), and the Nick Simons Institute (NSI). The event was held as a 4-day hybrid (partially virtual / partially face-to-face) event and was highly interactive.
The main objective of the NSOAP Orientation event was to familiarize all major stakeholders with the NSOAP initiative and align them towards the common goal of starting the process of developing an NSOAP unique for Nepal. More information is available here.
Breast Cancer - Improving Outcomes And Access To Treatment For The Most Vulnerable
Breast cancer continues to be a major global health challenge, claiming the lives of more than 685’000 women in 2020, globally. WHO estimates that almost 50% of breast cancer cases are in developing countries. The growing disease burden of cancers in low-income and limited resource settings is a clear call for action to improve health outcomes and increase access to treatment options. Surgical care is the foundation of the treatment options for breast cancers and has been proven to be highly effective, especially when the disease is diagnosed early.
UNITAR and the Global Surgery Foundation joined forces in hosting this webinar. Learn more about the role of surgery in breast cancer care, how we can improve health outcomes and how we can continue to improve access to treatment in low-income and resource-limited settings. More information is available here.
We Launched The Value-Based Healthcare Hub
The Global Surgery Foundation and UNITAR, with the support of Takeda, hosted a special online event for the Official Launch of the New Value-based Healthcare (VBHC) Hub.
Through the Hub, we aim to facilitate locally-led initiatives that will promote and advance the implementation of VBHC models in low-income and resource-limited settings, led by frontline implementers and developed in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health, academic leaders, academic institutions and professional societies, industry, civil society and of course, patients.
The Hub aims to gather these stakeholders and facilitate discussion for policy development towards VBHC and related health system changes tailored to their respective contexts. The Hub will also act as a knowledge repository for value-based healthcare, to strengthen capacity building and foster better understanding. More information is available here. The Hub can be accessed at: www.valuebasedhealthcare-un.org.
Safe Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: Practices, Preparation, And Prevention
Practices, Preparation, And Prevention
Ebrs.online, UNITAR, and the Global Surgery Foundation hosted this online event entitled “Safe laparoscopic cholecystectomy: practices, preparation, and prevention”. Watch the recording to learn the following
Compare and contrast obtaining critical view of safety vs. other techniques as approaches to mitigate risk of bile duct injury during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
Assess advantages and disadvantages of subtotal cholecystectomy when critical view of safety cannot be achieved.
Assess benefits of intraoperative biliary imaging during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
More information is available here.
Official Launch Of The New NSOAP Manual
Following both the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery and the World Health Assembly Resolution 68.15 in 2015, world leaders in surgery, obstetrics and anesthesia came together to produce a comprehensive planning methodology for governments to use to increase capacity in safe surgical, obstetrical and anesthesia care. The National Surgical Obstetric Anesthesia Planning (NSOAP) process offers ministries of health a pathway to integrate surgical planning into their overall national health strategies using a systematic and logical approach.
With more than 50 contributors from various sectors of global health, the NSOAP Manual provides a framework for the development of plans and policies to improve the provision of safe surgery, obstetric and anesthesia care at a national level.
NSOAP #2: First-hand experience in developing an NSOAP Part #2 - Special NSOAP Online Series
The development of NSOAPs is a flexible process designed to address country-specific needs in the context of existing health systems and priorities. To date, NSOAPs have been completed across a number of countries with unique designs and planning processes. The process, as well as the final plan, reflects the values and priorities of local and national stakeholders.
This online event will highlight the lessons learned from the experiences of several countries that have already developed an NSOAP in their unique contexts. Leveraging these insights is invaluable as many other countries are starting their own NSOAP development process.
NSOAP #3: Integrating an NSOAP into National Health and Pandemic Response Strategies
Many countries have existing national health strategies or insurance systems that aim to provide Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Improving access to surgical, anesthesia and obstetric care represents a unique challenge that is often not adequately addressed specifically nor adequately within many national health strategies at a policy level. NSOAPs represent a flexible process which best function when integrated into existing national health plans for the purpose of advancing surgical care in the context of existing national priorities.
This online event explores potential pathways towards aligning an NSOAP with national health plans and its implications for pandemic response strategies.
NSOAP #4: Donors’ perspective on funding NSOAP implementation: Discussion about the various funding strategies
Funding NSOAPs remains a key barrier to their successful implementation. In addition to the traditional domestic sources for funding health services, such as taxes and social insurance, the large-scale provision of surgical services stimulates the economy through creation of new jobs, supply chains, and markets. This unique aspect can generate innovative financing for investments in health.
This online event explores the role of governments, donors, development finance institutions, industry and the private sector in the financing of the NSOAP implementation. It also offers unique perspectives on how to innovatively finance surgical system buildup.
NSOAP #5: Ministries of Health perspective on Strengthening Surgical and Anesthesia Care
The development of NSOAPs requires strong involvement by the Ministry of Health (MoH). Two strategies have emerged for the NSOAP process: a centralized vs. a decentralized approach. In a centralized approach, the MoH leads the coordination of information gathering, conducts needs assessments, and works to develop a formal NSOAP.
In the decentralized approach, authority is shared between the MoH and the state/provincial government, thus leadeing to shared responsibility. Ultimately, the MoH provides the guidance and coordination from a governance perspective necessary to successfully implement the NSOAP process. This online event explores the NSOAP process from the perspectives of MoHs.
NSOAP #6: The role of NGOs, academic institutions, professional associations and other non-state actors in supporting the NSOAP process
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academic institutions, professional associations and other non-state actors can support the design and implementation of NSOAPs across various stages. They can provide resources, tools and manpower, as well as help coordinate national and international organizations working together towards achieving NSOAPs.
Academic institutions and professional societies play an important role in advancing the global surgery agenda through research, technical assistance, policy work and advocacy. Translation of academic research into actionable policies requires a concrete implementation strategy led by relevant stakeholders, including local champions, frontline providers, and government leadership. Stakeholders from both local academic institutions and global partners can help support NSOAP planning from the initial stages, through to evaluation and monitoring post implementation.
Minimally Invasive Surgery & the Novel Coronavirus Outbreak: Lessons Learned in China and Italy
The Global Surgery Foundation, in collaboration with Evidence Based Reviews in Surgery (EBRS), hosted a Webinar Journal Club. The Webinar reviewed the journal article “Minimally Invasive Surgery and the Novel Coronovirus Outbreak: Lessons Learned in China and Italy. Annals of Surgery. MH Zheng, L Boni, A. Fingerhut.”
The one hour event involved a review of this new paper examining the use of MIS in the setting of the coronavirus pandemic. Using the Users Guide to the Medical Literature: Clinical Practice Guidelines as the methodologic framework from which to review this paper, the expert reviewers reviewed this paper and assessed the recommendations made by the paper along with the validity of these recommendations.
This discussion occured in the context of a pragmatic real-world scenario, including health systems experiencing resource scarcity.
Youth, Technology and Health Initiatives - Accelerating Africa's COVID-19 Response
According to the 2018 World Youth Report, 1.2 billion people are aged between 15-24 years and it is predicted that this number will grow by 7% by 2030. Youth are hardly ‘the future’: they are ‘the now’. Meanwhile, their ideas are rarely taken into account in the current responses to health crises.
The Global Surgery Foundation, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), in collaboration with Slalom and the University of Cape Town and with the support of the Rali & Makentse Mampeule Foundation developed a Pandemic Self-Diagnostic Application & Predictive Modeling Dashboard. The developers are partnering with 1M2030 to engage the next generation to increase the impact of this tool.
Watch this conversation with influential youth in South Africa to discuss how the tech-savvy next generation can drive health initiatives forward - in South Africa and beyond.
COVID19 & Oxygenation support: Is there any solution for low resource hospitals?
Lessons learned from the literature and from the top of the Kilimanjaro Mountain!
UNITAR and the Global Surgery Foundation co-hosted this one hour webinar with HUG and 2nd chance, to provide a focus on one of the main life threatening symptoms of Covid-19: Dyspnea / respiratory failure /Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome in health systems experiencing resource scarcity across the globe, the critical oxygenation support, as well as treatment guidelines.
Watch this discussion between health care experts and anesthesiologist Dr. Dumont.
How to plan for re-starting surgery post COVID-19 in LMICs
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the delay or cancellation of tens of thousands of non-emergent essential surgeries such as cleft repair, burn care, and hernia repair. Now that many countries have flattened their COVID curves and increased their health system capacity to address COVID with improved staffing, infection control, testing, and PPE supplies, hospitals are planning on restarting non-emergent essential surgery.
The American College of Surgeons and other groups have published guidelines on restarting non-emergent essential surgery, however, the guidelines can be challenging to adapt to low and middle income settings. In addition, research has been published showing excess mortality rates for asymptomatic COVID patients as high as 20%, raising ethical issues.
Through this webinar, the Global Surgery Foundation, Operation Smile, and their partners, shared ideas and created a dialogue on how to safely restart non-emergent surgery.
Leading Health Systems Through the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic caused an unparalleled crisis in health facilities and their health systems. Leaders faced simultaneous crises of lack of staff, financial shortfalls, and lack of PPE and other supplies. The best and worst of health sector leadership was seen; from hospitals that were able to rapidly respond to changing needs to nursing homes that experienced patient abandonment and the failure to report deaths in a timely manner. Six months into the pandemic, it is clear that many countries will have to address the COVID-19 challenge for months or years to come, further stressing health workers and hospital leaders. The leadership sprint is turning into a marathon.
Through this webinar, the Global Surgery Foundation, Operation Smile, and their partners, shared ideas and created a dialogue on how to best lead health workers and health systems during the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Global Anaesthesia Priorities in the COVID-19 Era
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused drastic changes in surgical and anesthesia systems worldwide. While each region of our world has been affected, countries each have their own approach to the pandemic as well as different pacing of their respective surges. This is especially true in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in sub-Saharan Africa.
This virtual town hall will feature anesthesiologists representing perspectives from Uganda, Senegal, South Africa, India, and Pakistan. Dr. Mary T. Nabukenya will moderate the session, while panelists include: Dr. Rebecca Gray, Dr. Fauzia Khan, Dr. Ekta Rai, and Dr. Adamson Phiri.
Running From Crisis to Crisis
Watch a short video of GSF Founder and Executive Director Dr. Geoff Ibbotson on the benefits of building surgical capacity, recorded during the 2020 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos.
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