GSF 75th World Health Assembly Side Event
The Global Surgery Foundation hosted a side-event at the 75th World Health Assembly, entitled Strengthening Health Systems through upscaling Surgical Care:
Overcoming the Final Hurdle: Sustainable Financing.
The event brought together high-level leaders from member states, United Nations, academia, civil society, and industry in a discussion panel with a subsequent networking forum.
Date: Monday, 23 May 2022, 17:30 - 20:30 (Geneva time)
Venue: Hôtel InterContinental, Geneva, Switzerland & online participation
Event aims
Highlight the need for surgical care system strengthening and how it is fundamental to achieve UHC and the SDGs.
Highlight the need for consistent and substantial funding for strengthening surgical systems.
Highlight the strong commitment for surgical systems strengthening made already by selected funders and the pathway forward.
Agenda & speakers
Opening
Welcome remarks
Amb. Yannick Roulin, Permanent Mission of Switzerland (on behalf of the host nation)
Dr. Geoffrey Ibbotson, Executive Director, The Global Surgery Foundation (on behalf of the host organisation)
Special video addresses
Dr. Alfredo Borrero Vega, Vice-President of Ecuador
Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, former Deputy-President of South Africa and UN Under-Secretary-General/Executive Director of UN Women
Opening keynote
Dr. Ifereimi Waqainabete, Minister of Health of Fiji
High-level panel (1 hour)
Moderated panel discussion
Prof. Rifat Atun, Professor of Global Health Systems, Harvard University
Dr. Atul Gawande, Assistant Administrator for Global Health, USAID
Ms. Stacy Meyer, VP Global Public Health, Johnson & Johnson
Ms. Susannah Schaefer, CEO Smile Train
Mr. Nikhil Seth, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General (UNITAR)
Dr Princess Nothemba Simelela, Assistant Director-General, Special Advisor to the Director-General, Strategic Priorities, World Health Organisation (WHO)
Moderator: Ms. Maithreyi Seetharaman
Networking reception (1.5 hours)
Partner booths
Selected partners of The Global Surgery Foundation will display their banners and be present to answer questions.
Video booth
Selected event participants will have the opportunity to give short statements in a dedicated video booth.
Food and refreshments will be served.
Resources
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Event partners
Host organisation
In association with
Co-sponsoring member states
We proudly present co-sponsorship by the following member states.
Co-sponsoring organisations
We proudly present co-sponsorship by the following organisations.
Event rationale
Surgical care saves lives, prevents disabilities and is the bedrock of functional health systems, addressing the full extent of human disease. When properly resourced, it plays a fundamental role in every hospital and health facility – resulting in stronger health systems overall – providing a clear pathway towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Yet optimally functioning surgical systems have failed to materialize in many under-resourced countries.
The neglect of surgical care has devastating social and economic consequences. A third of all disease burden requires surgical treatment; but over two-thirds of the world’s people (i.e., 5 billion) lack access to safe surgical care, and 17 million deaths could be averted each year with better surgical care access in low- and middle-income countries.
Inequity in access to surgical care is one of the biggest global health gaps today. To achieve UHC, safe, affordable and timely surgical care must be accessible in all countries.
The data is well established (Lancet Commission on Global Surgery). The political mandate has been established with WHA Resolution 68.15. The global surgery community and its partners are prepared and ready to implement the needed scale up in surgical care systems.
The final challenge is for the global community to ensure that committed funding is available for low- and middle-income countries to scale up their surgical care systems.
The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that the financing of health systems needs to change radically to protect and promote the health of all people
The latest report by the WHO Council on the Economics of Health For All and the G20 Initiative on Preparedness and Response makes a clear and compelling argument for the need for sustained financing to strengthen health systems and achieve UHC.
Sustained financing to increase access to surgical care is a clear pathway towards strengthening health systems, and achieving UHC, to ensure equitable access to care and better health outcomes for those at greatest need.
In association with