Why surgery?

Surgical care is
the best investment in global health

Millions of people die every year from treatable diseases because surgical care is not available

Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and other health related objectives outlined in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are not achievable without ensuring that surgical care is accessible. 

30

percent

The global burden of disease that can be treated by surgery or requires a surgeon’s care

12

trillion US$

The lost economic output in LMICs by 2030 through surgical diseases

90

percent

The share of the world’s poor that lack access to safe and affordable surgical care

5

billion

The number of people without access to essential and emergency surgical care

The GSF Commitment

We will not rest until EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE has access to surgical care.

Only 0.1% of global health funding goes to surgical care, fuelling the biggest inequity in global health today

The GSF exists for one reason: to end this inequity.

— WHO Director General, Dr. Tedros

“Surgical capacity is an essential part of universal health coverage”

Without strong surgical care, our health systems remain stuck in the past, incapable of dealing with the shifting burden of disease

The global burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and injury is increasing at an alarming rate, eclipsing infectious diseases, especially in low and middle-income countries (LMIC). 

Surgical care is the foundation of the treatment options for most of these diseases.

— Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, former Executive Director of UN Women, GSF Board Member

“Women are dying due to insufficient access to surgical care. We can and must change this."

If we could prevent 100,000 maternal deaths every year, should we do it?

Cesarean Section is one of the most common surgeries performed worldwide and accounts for nearly a third of operations in most resource-limited settings. It is a lifesaving intervention for women and newborns when conducted safely, timely, and for the right reason.

Safe, timely Cesarean Section can avert 100,000 maternal deaths (1/3 of maternal deaths) and reduce perinatal deaths (newborn deaths and stillbirths) by 30-70%.

Late one night, a 29-year-old mother of two was carried into the emergency department of our hospital. At that point, the group had already travelled for two days from another, more remote hospital in the Himalayan foothills…

Between 65-80% of incident cancers will require surgical care

The Lancet Commission on Global Cancer Surgery confirmed: there is no cancer care without surgical care. We are far from meeting the immense demand, and the results are dramatic.

— Nikhil Seth, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General, Co-Chair of the GSF High-Level Council

“The SDGs are not achievable without ensuring that surgical care is available.”

Life or death? 2.2 Million more surgical care clinicians are needed urgently

Without surgical care, many easily treatable conditions become diseases with high fatality rates.

More videos

Millions of needless deaths from surgically treatable diseases constitute one of the world’s greatest challenges.

But we have everything needed to solve this crisis.

The catalytic fund for surgical care systems is now fully operational.