News and events
Stay up to date on our activities and the latest news in global surgery.
News type: Programme updates · Stories · Partnerships · Publications · Organisation
Event type: High-level events · Webinars · External events
Project: Kano (Nigeria) · Nakuru (Kenya) · Koshi (Nepal) · Bonesetters (Tanzania) · Breast cancer (Türkiye) · SURGhub
Photo: OSS Nakuru project
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.
Restoring Identity Through Reconstructive Surgery: A Conversation with Dr. Sanderene Abdelnor
From the operating theatre in Giza, Egypt, Dr. Sanderene Abdelnor shares how blending technical precision with artistic judgment provides a vital framework for restoring identity, not just anatomy, in reconstructive surgery.
Voices in Global Surgery: Putting Mothers at the Centre of Safe Surgical Care in Kenya
Meet Mary Mungai, a Nurse Anaesthetist in Kenya whose dedication to maternal safety and teamwork is helping to transform the quality of obstetric and surgical care across East Africa.
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.
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.
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.
Voices of Global Surgery: how NESOG is advancing safe surgery for mothers in Nepal
In Nepal, too many mothers still die giving life. Dr. Saroja Pande and the Nepal Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (NESOG) are working to change that.
Explore Public 2025 WHA78 Side-Events
As the global health community prepares for the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA78) in 2025, the Global Surgery Foundation (GSF) is curating a comprehensive and up-to-date list of WHA78 side events.
Watch Now: Our Side-Event at the 2025 World Health Assembly (WHA78)
On 19 May 2025, the Global Surgery Foundation brought global leaders together at the Hôtel InterContinental in Geneva and online for its WHA78 side-event, Accelerating Catalytic Financing in a New Era, where donors announced new commitments to SURGfund. Watch the recording and download the report.
Voices of Global Surgery: patients and health workers on women's cancers
As part of our Voices in Global Surgery series, we spoke with patients, frontline workers, and advocates in women’s cancers.
Voices of Global Surgery: the lived experience of cancer surgery
As the first of our new series “Voices in Global Surgery”, this article takes a look behind the scenes of surgical care.
We spoke with cancer survivors from seven countries to learn how their expertise can inform global cancer control programming.
Meet Shainuni: Latest News from the Bonesetter Project in Tanzania
The project team successfully completed the inclusion period and launched a pilot study in April, which implements a collaborative treatment model involving traditional bonesetters and hospital referrals for surgical treatment when necessary, ensuring adequate pain relief and X-ray diagnostics for all fracture patients
Now available: WHA77 GSF side-event report
The GSF side-event at WHA77 convened a diverse array of global health leaders, representing UN member states, United Nations bodies, philanthropy, academia, civil society, and industry. The event report is now available.
Watch Now: Our Side-Event at the 77th World Health Assembly (WHA77)
The special WHA77 GSF side-event took place on 27 May 2024 at the Hôtel InterContinental.
Special announcement: a catalytic fund for surgical systems strengthening
The Global Surgery Foundation (GSF) officially announced SURGfund at its 76th World Health Assembly side event on 23 May 2023 in Geneva, Switzerland.
Watch: The SURGfund Launch at the 76th World Health Assembly (WHA76)
Moving Dialogue to Implementation. The Global Surgery Foundation invites you a special World Health Assembly (WHA) side event on 23 May 2023.
A done deal: surgical systems strengthening
Fiji's Minister of Health, Dr. Ifereimi Waqainabete, addressed the World Health Assembly audience with a powerful message: the investment case for surgical systems strengthening is a done deal. It needs to happen.
Global Surgery Foundation to Host Side Event at 76th World Health Assembly
The Global Surgery Foundation (GSF) has announced that it will be hosting a special side event at the 76th World Health Assembly.
Read about our collaboration with UNAIDS Health Innovation Exchange at WHA75
UNAIDS’ Health Innovation Exchange (HIEx) and The Global Surgery Foundation (GSF) partnered on two sessions within the framework of the 75th World Health Assembly (WHA). The present report by HIEx highlights the collaboration by the two organisations.
Our Side-Event at the 75th World Health Assembly (WHA75)
Together, let’s take the next step in global health. The Global Surgery Foundation invites you a special World Health Assembly (WHA) side event on 23 May 2022.