Over 17 million lives are lost each year due to a lack of surgical care – a staggering inequality that demands immediate action. But here’s where it gets even more alarming: 93% of people in sub-Saharan Africa cannot access safe surgery when they need it. This isn’t just a healthcare gap; it’s a global crisis that perpetuates the cycle of inequality and pandemic vulnerability.
Zacharoula Sidiropoulou, Senior Consultant Breast Surgical Oncologist at Hospital São Francisco Xavier, recently highlighted this issue on LinkedIn, sharing Jérôme Salomon’s post and emphasizing the urgent need for surgical care equity. She writes, “As we tackle the inequality-pandemic cycle, surgical care equity must be at the heart of the solution.”
And this is the part most people miss: initiatives like SURGhub, the United Nations Global Surgery Learning Hub, are already paving the way. SURGhub is breaking the cycle of educational inequality in surgical training by providing free, high-quality education to over 19,000 healthcare workers in 190 countries. What’s truly remarkable? They’ve reached 1,700+ learners in conflict-affected regions like the DRC, Sudan, Ukraine, Yemen, and Palestine. With 100+ UN-certified courses optimized for low-bandwidth settings, SURGhub is strengthening surgical systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where pandemic vulnerability is highest.
But here’s the controversial part: Is quality surgical education a privilege or a global standard? Even as someone with access to excellent training resources, Sidiropoulou continues to learn through SURGhub, stating, “Quality surgical education should be a global standard, not a privilege.” She argues that the platform’s evidence-based, context-appropriate content benefits everyone and fosters solidarity through continuous learning alongside colleagues worldwide.
This aligns perfectly with the recent report co-chaired by Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, former First Lady of Namibia Monica Geingos, and Professor Sir Michael Marmot. The report, Breaking the Inequality-Pandemic Cycle, reveals a shocking truth: inequality makes pandemics more likely, more deadly, and more costly. It’s a two-way street – pandemics deepen inequality, creating a vicious cycle seen not just with COVID-19, but also with AIDS, Ebola, Influenza, and Mpox.
The report calls for “inequality-informed” pandemic responses, and SURGhub is a prime example of this in action. By addressing educational disparities in surgical training, SURGhub tackles the social determinants of pandemics head-on. This multisectoral approach, a partnership between UNITAR, the Global Surgery Foundation, and RCSI, directly contributes to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG3 and SDG4).
As G20 South Africa champions ‘Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability,’ initiatives like SURGhub offer practical pathways forward. But the question remains: Are we doing enough to build true health security worldwide?
Sidiropoulou invites everyone to join this movement: “Building true health security requires strengthening surgical systems globally. Join us at SURGhub.”
What do you think? Is surgical education a privilege or a right? And how can we ensure that initiatives like SURGhub reach every corner of the globe? Let’s spark a conversation in the comments – your voice matters.
