Is Global Pediatric Surgery a Good Investment?

World J Surg. 2019 Jun;43(6):1450-1455. doi: 10.1007/s00268-018-4867-4.

Abstract

Investing in surgery has been highlighted as integral to strengthening overall health systems and increasing economic prosperity in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). The provision of surgical care in LMICs not only affects economies on a macro-level, but also impacts individual families within communities at a microeconomic level. Given that children represent 50% of the population in LMICs and the burden of unmet surgical needs in these areas is high, investing pediatric-specific components of surgical and anesthesia care is needed. Implementation efforts for pediatric surgical care include incorporating surgery-specific priorities into the global child health initiatives, improving global health financing for scale-up activities for children, increasing financial risk protection mechanisms for families of children with surgical needs, and including comprehensive pediatric surgical models of care into country-level plans.

MeSH terms

  • Anesthesiology
  • Child
  • Child Health Services / economics*
  • Developing Countries
  • Global Health / economics*
  • Healthcare Financing*
  • Humans
  • Pediatrics / economics
  • Specialties, Surgical / economics*