Watch: SURGfund launch at 76th World Health Assembly
Building upon the highly successful WHA75 side event in May 2022, the Global Surgery Foundation (GSF), along with 10 co-sponsoring member states, hosted a special side event with the main goal of moving the dialogue about financing for surgical care systems to the implementation phase:
Strengthening Health Systems
through upscaling Surgical Care
Moving Dialogue to Implementation:
Sustainable Financing
Date: Tuesday, 23 May 2023 at 18:00 CET
Place: College Sismondi, Geneva, Switzerland & virtual
A networking reception with refreshments followed the panel discussion
Event partners
The Global Surgery Foundation assembled a broad strategic alliance for this event.
Host organisation
Co-sponsoring member states
🇭🇷 Croatia
🇪🇨 Ecuador
🇫🇯 Fiji
🇯🇵 Japan
🇲🇾 Malaysia
🇸🇱 Sierra Leone
🇸🇰 Slovakia
🇸🇪 Sweden
🇨🇭 Switzerland
🇿🇲 Zambia
Resources
Watch last year’s event recording
Watch: the investment case for surgical care is a done deal
Watch: pooled financing could revolutionise global surgery
Follow @surgfoundation on social media to join the conversation with #WHA76!
Event impressions
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 agenda
The event consisted of two parts. A high-level panel discussion followed by a networking reception with food and beverages.
High-level panel (1 hour)
Welcome by the host nation
Mr. Jonas Pasquier, Acting Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Switzerland, Geneva
Opening comments by WHO
Dr. Anshu Banerjee, Director for the Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, WHO
Firestarter speech
Dr. Sabrina Asturias, Chief of emergency surgery, Roosevelt Hospital and Professor of Surgery at Francisco Marroquin University
Moderated panel discussion
Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, former Deputy-President of South Africa and UN Under-Secretary-General/Executive Director of UN Women, Member of the GSF Board
Prof. Rifat Atun, Professor of Global Health Systems at Harvard University, President of the GSF Board
Dr. Atul Gawande, Assistant Administrator for Global Health, USAID
Ms. Nácia Pupo Taylor, VP, Global Health Systems and Public Health Policy, Johnson & Johnson
Moderator: Ms. Maithreyi Seetharaman
Networking reception (1.5 hours)
Partner booths
Selected partners of the Global Surgery Foundation displayed their banners and were present to answer questions.
Video booth
Selected event participants had the opportunity to give short statements in a dedicated video booth.
Food and refreshments will be served.
Event rationale
The central theme of the event focused on the urgent need for financing to enable and accelerate implementation of frontline impact.
The event also announced the official launch of GSF’s catalytic fund – SURGfund – a new innovative funding mechanism designed to support frontline implementation activities for the scale up of surgical care system capacities.
Conditions requiring the care of a surgical care team represent 30% of the entire global burden of disease; and surgically avertable deaths account for nearly 17 million deaths per year, with injury alone accounting for nearly 5 million deaths per year. Nearly all people affected by injury require access to surgical care services;
It is recognized that 90% of the world’s poor do not have access to safe and affordable surgical care services, and this results in significant death and disability, with the subsequent economic consequences on communities;
It is now well established that robust surgical care systems serve as one of the key foundational components of national health systems’ ability to respond effectively to their populations health care needs; and that these systems provide a rapid response mechanism for emergency events, disasters and pandemics;
It is also well recognized that surgical care services are very cost-effective, but despite this and alarmingly, the lack of investment in surgical care services results in severely compromised outcomes, thereby limiting efficiencies and increasing cost in the entire health system;
In order to achieve our goals in scaling surgical care systems to meet the current needs, innovative solutions and technologies are required to accelerate and strengthen existing capacity building initiatives;
In 2022, the GSF side event at WHA75 convened high-level leaders from member states, United Nations, academia, civil society, and industry to highlight the urgent need for sustainable financing for surgical care systems as a pathway to health system strengthening and Universal Health Coverage (UHC);
“A clear outcome from last year’s WHA event was the unified call for a global financing mechanism”
There was a strong consensus on how Comprehensive Surgical Care Systems serve as the golden thread linking all health-system strengthening approaches needed for Universal Health Coverage (UHC);
A clear outcome from the event was the unified call for a global financing mechanism to enable consistent and substantial funding for strengthening surgical systems;
To answer that call and leveraging the strong momentum, the GSF has established a catalytic funding mechanism designed to support implementation and scale up of surgical care systems in low- and middle-income countries;
“The GSF invites leaders in healthcare to join the critical discussion about the importance of moving the dialogue to action”
The fund represents a new paradigm in global health financing with a bottom-up approach, bringing decision making to frontline stakeholders. In addition to providing critical financial support, it empowers frontline stakeholders through facilitating access to the GSF’s established access to the world’s leading technical partners, the United Nations, and its Member States;
The strong GSF governance provides equitable and transparent oversight, ensuring that the new fund operates according to highest international financial and auditing standards, overseen by the Swiss regulatory authorities. The fund completed a beta-test of its financing mechanisms and processes through 2022 and 2023;
On the occasion of the 76th WHA, the GSF invites leaders in healthcare to join the critical discussion about the importance of moving the “dialogue to action” through implementation. The official launch of the GSF’s catalytic fund is an important first step in that process. We invite all to participate in the increasing momentum around building strong and resilient health systems through upscaling surgical care.
Event aims
Re-emphasize how the scale-up of surgical care systems provides a concrete pathway towards health systems strengthening and the achievement of UHC.
Highlight the urgent need for catalytic funding for the scale up of surgical care systems.
Highlight innovative solutions for achieving our goals in surgical care system strengthening.
Introduce and officially launch GSF’s catalytic fund for surgical care systems.
Topics for discussion
How surgical care systems serve as a cornerstone for strong health care systems.
The importance of meeting the gap in the provision of surgical care with sustainable financing.
Examples of innovative solutions that can accelerate progress.
Existing commitments towards health system strengthening through GSF’s catalytic fund.
High-impact investment opportunities through GSF’s catalytic fund.
Contact: info@globalsurgeryfoundation.org
Videos
Watch these short videos as you get ready for #WHA76.
The investment case for surgical care is a done deal
At WHA75, Fiji's Minister of Health, Dr. Ifereimi Waqainabete, addressed the audience with a powerful message: surgical systems strengthening is a done deal. It needs to happen.
Pooled Financing Could Revolutionise Global Surgery
Panellists agreed at WHA75 that surgical care systems are essential for any functioning health care system. Could a pooled financing mechanism help get us there?