News and events
Stay up to date on our activities and the latest news in global surgery.
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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.
GSF Takes the Evidence On Safe Caesarean Care to UNGA
The Global Surgery Foundation's Safe Caesarean Section projects in Nepal, Kenya and Nigeria are expanding from 19 to 31 health facilities. Ahead of two UN General Assembly events on maternal survival, here is what the model has changed so far.
Non-communicable diseases receive just 2.5% of health aid
A global analysis of two decades of health aid found that non-communicable diseases received a fraction of funding despite causing most of the disease burden.
GSF joins BCIU and BD for UNGA event on maternal safety during childbirth
The Business Council for International Understanding will host Advancing Maternal Safety during Childbirth: Improving Recognition, Response and Care in New York on 24 September, in partnership with Becton Dickinson and Company and the Global Surgery Foundation.
Join the Neurotrauma Care in Low-Resource Settings Webinar
Join the American College of Surgeons (ACS) International Relations Committee for an upcoming webinar focusing on Neurotrauma Care in Low-Resource Settings.
Most Low-resource Surgical Simulation Uses Low-cost Tools
A new journal review of 50 years of change in surgical education finds that most simulation in low-resource settings uses low-cost, locally sourced task trainers.
Surgery Takes Centre Stage at WHA79 — with a Record Wave of Catalytic Funding
With a record wave of new commitments to SURGfund, the catalytic model for surgical care is moving from proof of concept towards scale — and the results are already saving lives.
Global Surgery Foundation Releases 2025 Annual Report: A Turning Point for Health Equity
The Global Surgery Foundation’s 2025 Annual Report marks a decisive turning point for global health. Discover how increased catalytic financing and award-winning training are building local leadership capacity to bring safe, sustainable surgical care to everyone, everywhere.
Announcing the Public Calendar of WHA79 Side Events for 2026
Navigate the busy week of the 2026 79th World Health Assembly (WHA79) with ease. The Global Surgery Foundation’s comprehensive 2026 Side Events Calendar is your central hub to discover high-impact panels, coordinate your schedule, and submit your own events taking place in Geneva and online.
Watch Now: What's Next for Philanthropy, Our Side-Event at WHA79 in 2026
On 18 May 2026, the Global Surgery Foundation returned to the World Health Assembly with What's Next for Philanthropy: Investing in Local Leaders for Impact, a WHA79 side-event at the Hôtel InterContinental in Geneva and online. Watch the recording and download the report.
Better Together: Bonesetter-Surgeon Collaboration Improves Trauma Outcomes
Can traditional beliefs and modern surgical care coexist to save lives? A SURGfund-supported pilot study in Tanzania suggests the answer is a resounding yes.
What Makes Open-Access Medical Education Work: Insights from a New Scoping Review
Open-access medical education is growing fast, but its effectiveness remains uneven. A new review outlines the main barriers and enablers shaping how these platforms perform, especially in low-resource settings.
New Study Reveals Urgent Breast Cancer Survival Crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa
New data published in The Lancet Global Health 2025 shows devastating disparities in breast cancer survival across sub-Saharan Africa. These gaps are avoidable—and closing them could save thousands of lives.
GSF to Announce New Commitment at Clinton Global Initiative 2025
At the upcoming Clinton Global Initiative 2025 Meeting in New York, the Global Surgery Foundation will announce a new Commitment to Action focused on expanding access to safe caesarean section and maternal surgical care in low-resource settings. This builds on a recently launched SURGfund-supported project in Kenya, aiming to reach over 25,000 mothers and newborns each year.
New Research from Türkiye: Addressing delays in breast cancer diagnosis and surgery
New research published by Zonguldak Bulent Ecevit University, in partnership with the Global Surgery Foundation (GSF) and UNITAR, reveals reasons for delays in diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.
Scaling Up Surgical Care Could Unlock $80 Billion in Global Economic Gains, Study Finds
Expanding access to essential surgical services in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) could enable 884,000 people to return to work each year—boosting the global economy by more than $80 billion annually, according to a new study published in The Lancet.
New Publication Highlights Global Impact of SURGhub
A new paper explores the development and roll-out of the United Nations Global Surgery Learning Hub and its impact on training the surgical workforce globally.
New Study Confirms: Surgical Care Is Achievable in Conflict Settings
A new study highlights 15 years of surgical care delivery in Afghanistan, showing that safe, high-quality surgery is possible even in the most challenging settings.
Surgical Care Takes the Stage at WHA78—with Catalytic Funding to Match
Surgery saves lives—but for billions, it’s still out of reach. At this year’s World Health Assembly, that reality took centre stage. With new catalytic investments into SURGfund, the days of treating surgical care as a side note in global health are over. It’s now a frontline strategy to strengthen systems, save lives, and deliver on the promise of universal health coverage.
Global Surgery Foundation Releases 2024 Annual Report: A Landmark Year for Surgical Equity
The report marks a year of unprecedented growth for the organisation in expanding access to safe, timely, and affordable surgical care worldwide.