Surgeries for Adults and Children

Enhancing access to safe and timely surgical services for both adults and children is essential to reducing preventable illness, disability, and death, particularly in resource-limited settings. Many life-threatening and quality-of-life conditions—such as obstetric emergencies, traumatic injuries, congenital anomalies, cancers, and infections—require surgical intervention, yet delays caused by limited facilities, shortages of trained personnel, high costs, and weak referral systems often lead to poor outcomes. Strengthening surgical access involves investing in well-equipped health facilities, expanding and training the surgical workforce, ensuring the availability of anesthesia, blood supplies, and sterile equipment, and integrating surgery into universal health coverage frameworks. Timely surgery not only saves lives but also prevents long-term disability, reduces hospital stays, and improves economic productivity for families and communities. For children, early surgical care is especially critical, as delayed treatment can result in lifelong impairment. Equitable, safe, and prompt surgical services are therefore a cornerstone of a resilient health system and a fundamental component of quality healthcare for all.