SURGfund
A collaborative funding platform for surgical care.
Photo by Frank Kimaro
The problem
Access to surgical care: the biggest neglected gap in global health
Surgical care can be life-saving, but access remains a problem.
Without urgent investment and action, we cannot hope to save lives, strengthen health systems, or achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
2/3
of the world’s population
do not have access to safe, timely, and affordable surgical care
17M
people die every year
from conditions that could easily be treated with surgery
30%
of global health conditions
require surgical care (anaesthesia, surgery and recovery)
<1%
of global health funding
goes to surgical care (anaesthesia, surgery and recovery)
143M
more surgeries are needed
every year in low- and middle-income countries to save lives and prevent lifelong disability
The SDGs are not achievable without ensuring that surgical care is available.
Nikhil Seth
Former UN Assistant Secretary-General
Our solution
SURGfund: a collaborative funding platform for surgical care
SURGfund closes the biggest neglected gap in global health, saving lives and strengthening health systems in four key areas:
Maternal health
Children’s surgery
Injury and trauma surgery
Cancer surgery
Our focus
We support capacity-building projects that saves lives and strengthens health systems in four key areas.
Maternal health
Saving lives at birth
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We fund capacity-building projects that make childbirth safer for mothers everywhere. Your support helps us to provide appropriate surgical care during pregnancy and delivery, reducing deaths and addressing complications, such as postpartum haemorrhage and obstetric fistula. Together, we can make a life-saving difference for mothers and babies.
Children’s surgery
Preventing lifelong disability
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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.
Trauma surgery
Restoring mobility and livelihoods
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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.
Cancer surgery
Giving people new hope
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Surgery plays an important role in cancer care and control. Whether it’s screening, treatment, or recovery, we are committed to investing in projects that bring people health and hope. Together, we can reduce the risk of cancer, remove tumours, and ease symptoms.
Our approach
SURGfund pools funds from government, philanthropy, and the private sector to offer:
Tailored support
We offer expert support adapted to the unique needs of each project and country.
Collaborative partnerships
We work with existing healthcare initiatives to share technical knowledge and reduce silos.
Local ownership
We help frontline partners lead projects that have proven local impact and potential for scale.
Scalable solutions
We expand and scale successful projects to strengthen health systems regionally and nationally.
Meaningful impact
We track progress to ensure every donation drives positive outcomes for people in low- and middle-income countries.
SURGfund in action
Building Bridges for Broken Bones
SURGfund provided funding and accompaniment to an innovative, partner-led project treating extremity fracture patients in rural Tanzania. This collaborative model connects traditional bonesetters and hospital staff to improve patient care.
“The access to GSF’s network has turned our project from an idea into a full-fledged line of research—one that now also has financial backing from GSF to ensure its realisation.”
Dr. Joost Binnerts
Shirati Foundation
Bonesetters and hospital staff participate in a casting workshop during the ‘Basics in Trauma’ course at Shirati KMT Hospital
With funding, expert collaboration and local leadership, the initiative moved from concept to reality. Our approach ensures that surgical care is designed and driven by the communities they serve.
Our impact
SURGfund ensures that every dollar donated drives meaningful change in the lives of people and communities in low- and middle-income countries.
Explore our frontline impact in the 2025 GSF Annual Report.
24.9M+
people with improved access to surgical care
23
facilities strengthened
8
active SURGfund projects
Lives saved, disabilities prevented—this is our commitment and impact for the most vulnerable.
Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka
GSF Board Member | Former UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women | Former Deputy-President of South Africa
Our partners
SURGfund brings together global partners and frontline workers to build stronger health systems.
Founding partners
We are grateful for the strong support of our founding partners.
We are grateful to the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), which helped develop the GSF concept.
Funding partners
We are grateful to the foundations, companies and public institutions that fund safe surgical care through SURGfund.
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
Partner with us
As a SURGfund donor, you will:
Seize a valuable opportunity to drive impact in global health
Gain access to technical expertise and insights from those on the front lines
Influence GSF governance, ensuring your voice helps shape our mission
Achieve high-quality implementation, monitoring, and evaluation
Position your organisation or company as a global leader
Together, we can save lives and strengthen health systems.
Partner with SURGfund to close the biggest neglected gap in global health and amplify your impact.
Frequently asked questions
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SURGfund is the Global Surgery Foundation’s collaborative funding platform for surgical care. It brings together funding from governments, philanthropy and the private sector to support partner-led projects in low- and middle-income countries.
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SURGfund combines collaborative funding with accompaniment. It brings together funding from more than 10 donors to date. Alongside funding, partners get technical guidance, clinical expertise, quality improvement and support for monitoring, learning and evidence. Bringing several donors together creates stability for projects while reducing the risk for any single donor, and helps achieve quality and lasting results that are hard to reach through standalone project funding.
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Projects that strengthen surgical care in four areas: maternal health, children’s surgery, trauma surgery and cancer surgery.
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Grant proposals are reviewed by GSF’s Technical Advisory Council, which provides independent clinical expertise, before a funding decision is made.
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Safe caesarean section projects in Nakuru (Kenya), Koshi (Nepal) and Kano (Nigeria), and Building Bridges for Broken Bones, which links traditional bonesetters and hospital staff in rural Tanzania.
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Organisations can partner with us. Individuals can give on our Donate page.