Global Surgical Initiatives to Reduce the Surgical Burden of Disease

Abstract

A 12-year-old girl involved in a motor vehicle crash is transported to a district hospital in sub-Saharan Africa with a femur fracture and splenic laceration. Because resources and surgical personnel are limited, resuscitation efforts for the injured girl are inadequate. However, governments, the World Health Organization (WHO), funding agencies, and international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are beginning to reassess the importance of surgical services in developing countries and to prioritize the support, resources, training, and workforce required.