About the conference

Global Surgery: Addressing a Neglected Health Crisis

The Global Health Conference is an annual event bringing together a community of students, trainees, clinicians, researchers, and faculty from across health professions and disciplines to share knowledge. This year, our focus is to bring attention to the often overlooked challenges in global surgical care, addressing issues from care inequalities to the impact of education and training on building surgical capacity. We will explore how these factors specifically affect the care of children and women worldwide. Our goal is to create an inclusive discussion forum for anyone interested in global health and surgery - everyone is welcome to attend.

This is a hybrid event with both in-person and virtual options, but of course we highly encourage you to attend in-person! Coffee and a catered lunch will be provided for all in-person attendees. Head over to the 'Registration' page to secure your spot.

When: Thursday, April 11, 2024 | 9:00 am - 1:30 pm PDT

Where: Virtual & In-Person at the Chan Centre for Family Health Education, BC Children's Hospital

Ticket Cost: $0 - Free!

Presenters

Keynote Speaker

Salome Maswime • Associate Professor and Head of Global Surgery, University of Cape Town

Panelists

Alixandra Bacon • Adjunct Professor and Co-Lead of Global and International Health, University of British Columbia Midwifery
Emilie Joos • Associate Director, University of British Columbia Branch for Global Surgical Care
Esther Chin • Obstetrician/Gynecologist, Assistant Clinical Professor (Adjunct), and Global Health Lead, McMaster University Department of OB/GYN
Martin Chigwede • Pediatric Surgery Quality Improvement Nurse, Kamuzu Central Hospital, Malawi
Moses Kasumba Kaggya • Pediatric Surgery Fellow, BC Children's Hospital
Norgrove Penny • Clinical Professor, University of British Columbia, and Faculty Member, University of British Columbia Branch for Global Surgical Care
Teresa Skelton • Investigator and Anesthesiologist, BC Children's Hospital

Conference Summary

Surgery is an indispensable, indivisible part of basic health care provision and a pressing challenge in the field of global health. A staggering five billion people lack access to safe and affordable surgical and anesthesia care with nine out of ten people in low and middle income (LMIC’s) lacking access to basic surgical care. Deaths due to surgically treatable conditions outweigh those from HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria combined, and a third of the global burden of disease can be cured through surgical care.

While there has been significant progress in improving access to surgical care, the global burden of disease amenable to surgical intervention, such as trauma, cancer, and complications from childbirth, continues to grow. Access to safe, high-quality surgical and anesthesia care with financial protection when needed is a crucial component of global health and is essential to building a more equitable and sustainable healthcare landscape globally.

Global surgery encompasses all fields related to surgical care, including surgical sub-specialties, obstetrics and gynaecology, anaesthesia, perioperative care, emergency medicine, rehabilitation, palliative care, nursing and the allied health fields, among others. Improving access to timely, quality, and affordable surgical care for all requires a multifaceted approach that includes strengthening healthcare systems, training and deploying skilled surgical providers, and mobilizing resources to expand access to essential surgical services.

Calling all trainees!

Are you conducting research in global health? We are currently accepting submissions to share your work via a 2-minute pre-recorded video at the conference! [Please note that your work does not need to be related to surgery]. Submissions are due by 11:59 PM PDT on March 26th, 2024.

Head over to the Trainee Video Submissions page to learn more and submit your application.

As part of the conference, the Institute for Global Health will be hosting an in-person trainee networking event entitled "Global Surgery Roundtable". Trainees will have the opportunity to participate in small group discussions with facilitators to explore the field of global surgery.

Register for the roundtable here.