No one should die for a lack of access to surgical care

Explore the surgical care gap

What we do

Nine out of ten people in low- and lower-middle-income countries cannot access basic surgical care.

The Global Surgery Foundation closes this gap by mobilising funding through SURGfund and accompanying local partners with expertise as they deliver locally led projects.

Together, we save lives, prevent disability and build stronger surgical care systems in the communities that need them most.

Discover our mission →

Our focus

We support projects that build surgical care capacity, save lives and strengthen health systems in four key areas.

Maternal health

We fund capacity-building projects that make childbirth safer for mothers everywhere. Your support helps us to improve access to appropriate and safe surgical care for all pregnant women who need it, reducing deaths and addressing complications, such as postpartum haemorrhage, infection, and obstetric fistula. Together, we can make a life-saving difference for mothers and their newborns.

About our Women’s Health programme →

Children’s surgery

Investing in surgery for children pays off in better health and happiness. We support projects that treat congenital heart defects, cleft lip and palate, appendicitis, clubfoot, and traumatic injuries. With your support, we can ensure that every child receives the surgical care they need to grow healthy and happy.

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Trauma surgery

We’re committed to ensuring everyone gets the care they need after an injury or trauma. We focus on projects that heal bone fractures and repair damaged organs. Your generosity helps us to expand access to the treatment people need to recover and thrive.

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Cancer surgery

Surgery plays an important role in breast and cervical cancer care. Whether it’s diagnosis, treatment, or rehabilitation and palliative care, we are committed to investing in projects that bring people health and hope. Together, we can improve access to quality cancer care.

About our breast cancer programme →

Projects we support

We fund and accompany local partners to improve access to safe surgical care.

KENYA

Nakuru County

Safe, timely and respectful caesarean care for over 25,000 women giving birth each year across five facilities in Nakuru County.

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NIGERIA

Kano State

Safe, timely and respectful caesarean care for over 27,000 women giving birth each year in Kano State.

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NEPAL

Koshi Province

Reducing deaths and complications linked to caesarean section for mothers and newborns in Koshi Province.

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RWANDA

Breast cancer surgery

Improving outcomes for women with breast cancer in Rwanda through better training, patient navigation and data systems.

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TANZANIA

Building Bridges for Broken Bones

Connecting traditional bonesetters and hospital staff to improve care for people with fractures in rural Tanzania.

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GLOBAL

The NSOAP Manual

Guiding governments in expanding access to life-saving surgical care through national surgical plans.

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GLOBAL

Champions in Global Surgery

Investing in the next generation of surgical care leaders.

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PREVIOUS PROJECT

C-Safe

Developing, implementing and evaluating a strategy to reduce maternal and newborn deaths and complications following caesarean section in low- and middle-income countries.

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We train surgical teams through SURGhub, our award-winning learning platform, which offers 140+ courses to more than 67,000 learners.

See all our programmes →

News and events

The latest from our work to improve access to life-saving surgical care.

News and events
180 Years of Anaesthesia, Along the Patient Pathway
180 Years of Anaesthesia, Along the Patient Pathway

On 16 October, anaesthesia teams around the world mark World Anaesthesia Day, 180 years after the first public demonstration of ether anaesthesia. This year’s campaign looks at the part anaesthesiologists play in a patient’s care before, during and long after an operation.

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Johnson & Johnson Foundation and the Global Surgery Foundation Deepen Their Work, Partnering to Scale Surgical Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Johnson & Johnson Foundation and the Global Surgery Foundation Deepen Their Work, Partnering to Scale Surgical Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

A renewed $1 million commitment to SURGfund, announced at WHA79, will train surgical healthcare workers and improve care for patients at 31 facilities. As an anchor contribution it also strengthens the case for further investment into the collaborative funding mechanism.

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The Invisible Work That Keeps Surgery Safe in Kano, Nigeria
The Invisible Work That Keeps Surgery Safe in Kano, Nigeria

In the latest instalment of Voices of Global Surgery, Ibrahim Isah Muhammad, perioperative nurse and operating theatre in-charge at Wudil General Hospital in Kano State, Nigeria, reflects on the realisation that saving lives in surgery often begins long before the first incision.

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World Postpartum Haemorrhage Day 2026
World Postpartum Haemorrhage Day 2026

On 5 October, maternal health organisations mark World Postpartum Haemorrhage Day. One year after new global guidelines were issued, the day is a reminder that most deaths from bleeding after birth can be prevented.

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GSF Names New Programme and Clinical Leads for Women's Health
GSF Names New Programme and Clinical Leads for Women's Health

Dr. Mélanie Samson takes on the role of Programme Lead, Women’s Health, and Dr. Jean Chamberlain becomes Clinical Lead, Maternal Health, as the Global Surgery Foundation’s safe caesarean section projects expand.

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Advancing Maternal Safety during Childbirth: Highlights from our UNGA81 Side-Event
Advancing Maternal Safety during Childbirth: Highlights from our UNGA81 Side-Event

On 24 September 2026, BCIU, BD and the Global Surgery Foundation brought together stakeholders in New York, on the margins of UNGA81, to discuss how health systems can recognise and respond to maternal complications earlier.

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Our impact

Results from the projects we finance and accompany.

Project figures as of Q2 2026; SURGhub figures as of October 2026.

See our impact →

Nakuru County, Kenya

−70%

Newborn deaths linked to caesarean section

A 70% reduction in newborn mortality related to caesarean section across the five facilities in Nakuru County supported by the project.

The project improves safe, timely and respectful caesarean care for over 25,000 women giving birth each year. It also reduced newborn unit admissions.

About the Nakuru project →

Kano State, Nigeria

−50%

Fewer infections after caesarean section

A 50% reduction in the surgical site infection rate measured before discharge, in facilities taking part in Making CS Safe in Kano, launched in March 2025.

Surgical teams are trained in the CS-adapted Surgical Safety Checklist, infection prevention and management, and post-operative care.

About the Kano project →

Koshi Province, Nepal

8 in 10

Follow-up care after caesarean section

8 in 10 women now receive a follow-up check after caesarean section in participating facilities in Koshi Province, up from a baseline of none.

Follow-up checks help teams spot complications early and reduce deaths and complications linked to caesarean section.

About the Koshi project →

296,730

Patients reached since 2023

296,730 patients reached through the projects we finance and accompany, counted since 2023.

See our programmes →

1,521

Health workers trained

1,521 health workers trained through intensive, multi-year training programmes, with ongoing mentorship and follow-up.

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31

Facilities strengthened

31 hospitals and health facilities strengthened through the projects we finance and accompany.

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67,000+

SURGhub learners

More than 67,000 registered learners from 219 countries and territories use SURGhub, with more than 110,000 course enrolments.

Figures as of October 2026.

About SURGhub →

Our partners

We work with global partners and frontline leaders to help us build stronger health systems.

Johnson & Johnson logo in red text over a black background.Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health logo with a shield emblem and red and black text.Michael and Susan Dell Foundation logounitarTakedaBlavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical SchoolText reading "GE Healthcare Foundation" in purple on a white background.Logo for SmileTrain featuring a smiling cartoon train with a red face and blue train car, with the words 'SmileTrain' in red and blue text.Siemens HealthineersEKFSRepublic and Canton of Geneva
Centre for Global Surgery, McGill University Health Centre logoStellenbosch University logoUniversity of Cape Town logoUniversity of Global Health Equity logoUniversity of the Witwatersrand logoKing's Global Health Partnerships logoJohns Hopkins University logoCharité Universitätsmedizin Berlin logoUniversity of British Columbia logoRCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences logoBaylor College of Medicine logoCOSECSA logoWFSA logoRoyal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada logoNESOG logo

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Dr. Tedros
Quotation marks

There is a clear need for coordinated, integrated effort to meet the largely unmet surgical needs all over the world.

Dr. Tedros

WHO Director General

For funders and investors

Partner with us to bring surgical care to the most vulnerable and amplify your impact. Together, we can close the biggest neglected gap in global health.

Fund locally led surgical care through SURGfund →

Donate now

For individuals

Donate now to save lives and prevent disability. Your generosity helps us bring surgical care to those who need it most, no matter where they live.

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