Global surgery and the World Health Organization: indispensable partners to achieve triple billion goals

What is ‘global surgery’? Defining the multidisciplinary interface between surgery, anaesthesia and public health

“…These support surgical system strengthening through a three-step process, consisting of a national baseline assessment, facility assessments and national planning, which is fully integrated into a country’s national health strategy 82. Zambia was the first country to complete this,83 and a total of five countries have now launched their NSOAPs, with over 20 countries having committed to initiating similar processes 84 85…”

Clarifying surgery and anesthesia partnerships in response to global surgery and the World Health Organization

“…We read with interest the recently published manuscript entitled, ''Global surgery and the World Health Organization: indispensable partners to achieve triple billion goals.'' 1 We thank Dr. Reddy and colleagues for their efforts to highlight the work of the World Health Organization (WHO) in surgical care and anesthesia. Nevertheless, these attempts to explain the internal workings and agenda of WHO in the context of the Thirteenth General Programme of Work (GPW13), World Health Assembly (WHA) resolutions, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), fall far short.…”

“…While it is true that the GPW13 does include the sentence: ''[t]here is also a need to increase availability of safe and effective surgical care'', A nowhere is it stated or implied that using GPW13 to ''strengthen surgical, obstetric, and anesthesia (SOA) systems will enable the global health community and WHO to attain the triple billion goals.'' 1 Second, the WHA resolution WHA68.15 on strengthening emergency and essential surgical care and anesthesia as a component of universal health coverage (UHC), was passed unanimously at the 68th WHA in May 2015. 2 Dr. Emmanuel Makasa was one of the principal drivers of this resolution while serving as Health Attaché for the Zambian Permanent Mission to the United Nations Organization in Geneva (2012-2017).…”

“…While ''emergency and essential surgical care and anaesthesia'' supports the attainment of good obstetrics and emergency care outcomes, the two areas of work are addressed in separate WHO documents and resolutions. Nevertheless, while this association within the resolution is implied, it is perhaps an overstatement to say ''WHO member states declared SOA care as both 'critical' and 'integral' components to achieve global health goals ( 1 state-we strongly agree that it highlights the primary level of an integrated health system and probably implies both primary and emergency care content. We also agree that obstetric surgery is an integral component of surgical care, and for many, emergency surgical care is part of the overall emergency care continuum.…”

“…Reddy et al risk misinformation by stating that ''The triple billion targets are aligned with and designed to support the attainment of SDG3, the United Nations' global target to promote health and wellbeing-an essential strand of its eighteen-goal plan to eradicate poverty by 2030.'' 1 As stated above, the WHO triple billion goals support all 17 SDGs (not 18 as stated in error by Reddy et al). 1 Furthermore, only SDG1 is a goal to eradicate poverty by 2030.…”