Publications
Research, reports and articles by the Global Surgery Foundation and our partners. Select a title to open the publication.
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Browse by theme: Women's Health · Maternal Health · Cancer Care · Trauma Care · Surgical Safety · Education & Training · Policy & Planning · Financing · SURGhub · SURGfund · Bonesetters
A pilot study on the acceptability and safety of collaborative triage and treatment with traditional bonesetters for extremity fracture patients in rural Tanzania
A pilot trial in rural Tanzania compared fracture care by traditional bonesetters alone with a collaborative model involving health workers. The collaborative model had fewer complications and was acceptable to patients, bonesetters and staff.
BMJ Global Health · November 2025
Barriers and Enablers to the Production of Open Access Medical Education Platforms: Scoping Review
A scoping review of free open access medical education platforms found quality control, poorly structured content and long-term funding to be common barriers, while validated quality tools and partnerships helped.
JMIR Medical Education · November 2025
Improving intersectoral collaboration between formal healthcare workers and traditional bonesetters: evaluation of a pilot collaborative orthopaedic trauma course in rural Tanzania
Health workers and traditional bonesetters in rural Tanzania took a joint course on fracture care. Knowledge scores rose and stayed higher a year later, and participants reported greater mutual respect.
BMC Medical Education · August 2025
Causes of diagnostic and treatment delays in locally advanced breast cancer: a nationwide multicenter survey and electronic health records analysis in Türkiye
A nationwide survey of women with locally advanced breast cancer in Türkiye found that diagnostic delays stemmed mainly from patient factors such as lack of knowledge and fear, while provider-related delays were uncommon.
European Journal of Public Health · July 2025
Advancing Open-Access Education for the Surgical Team Worldwide: The Development and Rollout of the United Nations Global Surgery Learning Hub (SURGhub)
Describes the development and rollout of SURGhub, a free, low-bandwidth e-learning platform for the surgical team launched in 2023, and its early uptake by learners around the world.
World Journal of Surgery · June 2025
Incidence, Impact, and Healthcare-Seeking Behavior for Extremity Fractures in Resource-Limited Settings: A Household Survey in Rural Tanzania
A household survey in rural Tanzania estimated how often extremity fractures occur and found that nearly all patients sought care from traditional bonesetters, citing lower cost and faster perceived healing.
World Journal of Surgery · April 2025
Broad Support Among Stakeholders for Collaboration Between Traditional Bonesetters and Formal Healthcare: A Qualitative Study in a Resource-Limited Setting
Focus groups and interviews with patients, traditional bonesetters, hospital staff and local government in Tanzania's Rorya district showed broad support for collaboration, most often through a joint triage and referral system.
INQUIRY · March 2025
A Stepwise Approach to Universal Health Coverage: Embracing Comprehensive Patient-Centered Management
A commentary on a stepwise path to universal health coverage built around comprehensive, patient-centred management.
World Journal of Surgery · March 2025
Intersectoral Collaboration Between Traditional Bonesetters and Formal Healthcare: A Systematic Review on Past Initiatives and Stakeholder Perspectives
A systematic review found limited evidence on collaboration between traditional bonesetters and formal healthcare, but most stakeholders supported it, with training for bonesetters the most frequently suggested approach.
World Journal of Surgery · January 2025
Perceptions, Beliefs, and Behaviors Affecting Early Diagnosis of Breast Cancer in Türkiye
Covering five regions of Türkiye, this study examines how the national breast cancer screening programme works in practice, drawing on women aged 40 to 69 and primary care and screening staff to identify barriers and recommendations.
Marmara University Press · January 2025
E-learning Supporting Surgical Training in Low-Resource Settings
Reviews how e-learning supports surgical training in low-resource settings. Trainees value both local and external resources but face poor infrastructure, uneven content quality and a lack of material suited to their context.
Current Surgery Reports · April 2024
Scalable policy adoption and sustainable implementation of surgical care in the Americas
Summarises a 2023 meeting in Ecuador, held alongside the PAHO Directing Council, on strengthening surgical systems in the Americas, and argues that national surgical plans can help build resilient health systems.
Pan American Journal of Public Health · April 2024
Innovative Financing to Scale High-Value Anesthesia Health Services in Health Systems
Examines how anaesthesia services are financed worldwide, where many countries lack enough anaesthesia providers, and explores how innovative financing instruments could help expand high-value care.
Current Anesthesiology Reports · February 2024
Improving surgical safety checklist utilisation at 23 public health facilities in Ethiopia: a collaborative quality improvement project
A quality improvement project at 23 public health facilities in Ethiopia combined training, monthly mentorship and shared learning, and raised use of the WHO surgical safety checklist to over 90% within a year.
BMJ Open Quality · November 2023
Improving access to safe, quality surgical care for gynecologic cancers through capacity-building interventions in low- and middle-income countries: A scoping review
A scoping review of capacity-building and task-sharing programmes for surgical treatment of early-stage gynaecological cancers in low- and middle-income countries found encouraging results and called for standardised evaluation.
International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics · November 2023
A research agenda to improve incidence and outcomes of assisted vaginal birth
Sets out a research agenda to improve the use and outcomes of assisted vaginal birth, which has declined particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Priorities include women's perceptions, provider training and barriers to sustained implementation.
Bulletin of the World Health Organization · October 2023
Mentoring approaches in a safe surgery program in Tanzania: Lessons learned during COVID-19 and recommendations for the future
Draws lessons from mentoring in the Safe Surgery 2020 programme in Tanzania's Lake Zone during COVID-19. In-person mentoring suited complex surgical skills, while virtual mentoring worked well for quality improvement and data use.
Surgery Open Science · July 2023
Financial Toxicity Among Patients With Breast Cancer Worldwide: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
A systematic review and meta-analysis found that financial toxicity affects patients with breast cancer worldwide, with much higher rates in low- and middle-income countries than in high-income countries.
JAMA Network Open · February 2023
Global Neurosurgery: Progress and Resolutions at the 75th World Health Assembly
Reviews progress in global neurosurgery advocacy around the 75th World Health Assembly in 2022, including work towards a resolution on folic acid fortification to prevent spina bifida.
Neurosurgery · February 2023
Towards a Strategy for Improving Surgical Healthcare Worldwide
Draws on discussions convened for the Geneva Health Forum 2020 and earlier research by the Harvard Program in Global Surgery and Social Change to set out a strategy for improving surgical healthcare worldwide.
Harvard Program in Global Surgery and Social Change, Health Systems Innovation Lab at Harvard University and the Global Surgery Foundation · May 2022