Our Programmes
Improving access to life-saving surgical care
Our Focus
We support capacity-building projects that saves lives and strengthens health systems in four key areas.
Maternal
Health
Saving Lives
at Birth
-
We fund capacity-building projects that make childbirth safer for mothers everywhere. Your support helps us to improve access to appropriate and safe surgical care for all pregnant women who need it, reducing deaths and addressing complications, such as postpartum haemorrhage, infection, and obstetric fistula. Together, we can make a life-saving difference for mothers and their newborns.
Children’s
Surgery
Preventing
Lifelong Disability
-
Investing in surgery for children pays off in better health and happiness. We support projects that treat congenital heart defects, cleft lip and palate, appendicitis, clubfoot, and traumatic injuries. With your support, we can ensure that every child receives the surgical care they need to grow healthy and happy.
Trauma
Surgery
Transforming
Pain into Strength
-
We’re committed to ensuring everyone gets the care they need after an injury or trauma. We focus on projects that heal bone fractures and repair damaged organs. Your generosity helps us to expand access to the treatment people need to recover and thrive.
Cancer
Surgery
Giving People
New Hope
-
Surgery plays an important role in breast and cervical cancer care. Whether it’s diagnosis, treatment, or rehabilitation and palliative care, we are committed to investing in projects that bring people health and hope. Together, we can improve access to quality cancer care.
Your Guide to our Work
From saving lives to empowering local leaders, our programmes and partnerships drive meaningful change.
Use the buttons below to explore specific areas of our work.
Women’s Health
Surgical care that saves lives, respects dignity, and builds equity
A woman living in a low- or middle-income country is 100x more likely to die from a caesarean section than in a high-income country.
Women’s health is a global priority. Yet far too many women face death and disability due to a lack of access to safe and timely surgical care.
At GSF, we are changing this. Our Women’s Health Programme empowers local leaders and frontline teams to drive projects focused on maternal health, breast cancer, and cervical cancer.
Explore our women’s health projects:
Breast Cancer Care
in Rwanda and Türkiye
We are addressing diagnostic and treatment delays for breast cancer patients
Saving Lives of Mothers and Newborns in Nepal
We are improving obstetric care for 10,000 births per year in Nepal
Education and Training
SURGhub, The Award-Winning UN Global Surgery Learning Hub
Making quality surgical training available to all
We are making quality surgical training available in 190 countries.
The world needs 2.2 million more surgeons, anaesthetists, and obstetricians.
In partnership with leading institutions, our open-access platform offers expert-led courses in surgery, anaesthesia, obstetrics, and perioperative care—empowering healthcare workers with the knowledge and skills to save lives.
Explore our education and training projects:
SURGhub, The UN Global Surgery Learning Hub
We are making quality surgical training available to all through our platform
The NSOAP Manual
We are guiding governments in expanding access to life-saving surgical care
Champions in Global Surgery
We are investing in the next generation of surgical care leaders
Catalytic Financing
Surgery is needed for 30% of global health conditions, yet it receives less than 1% of global health funding.
Through SURGfund, the only catalytic fund for surgical care, we fund programmes and projects to bridge this neglected gap and improve access to life-saving surgical care.
Our Approach
SURGfund pools funds from government, philanthropy, and the private sector to build:
Local leadership
We empower local leaders with expert guidance and catalytic funding to help them improve surgical care where it’s needed most.
Collaborative partnerships
We build global partnerships and work with existing healthcare initiatives to reduce silos and strengthen health systems.
Scalability and impact
We scale successful projects and measure their impact to drive positive outcomes for people in low- and middle-income countries.
SURGfund in Action
Building Bridges for Broken Bones
SURGfund is saving lives and strengthening health systems through innovative financing, local ownership, and strong partnerships.
We provided catalytic funding and expert support for a groundbreaking project treating extremity fracture patients in rural Tanzania.
The collaborative model connected traditional bonesetters and hospital staff to improve patient care in the Rorya district.
“The access to GSF’s network has turned our project from an idea into a full-fledged line of research—one that now also has financial backing from GSF to ensure its realisation.”
Dr. Joost Binnerts
Shirati Foundation
Bonesetters and hospital staff participate in a casting workshop during the ‘Basics in Trauma’ course at Shirati KMT Hospital
Through catalytic financing, expert collaboration, and local leadership, we helped transform this initiative from concept to reality. Our approach ensures that surgical care systems are designed and driven by the local communities they serve.
Our Impact
5 billion people worldwide lack access to life-saving surgical care.
At the Global Surgery Foundation, we ensure that every dollar donated drives meaningful change in the lives of people and communities in low- and middle-income countries.
See our impact over the last year:
4.3M+
people with improved access to surgical care
4.5K+
training certificates issued to healthcare workers
10.7K+
healthcare workers and patients served by our projects
89+
surgical care courses available
8
countries with active projects
Lives saved, disabilities prevented—this is our commitment and impact for the most vulnerable.
Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka
GSF Board Member | Former UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women | Former Deputy-President of South Africa