Dr. John Meara, DCP3 Volume 9 chapter author and the Director of the Program in Global Surgery and Social Change at Harvard Medical School, is co-chairing The Lancet‘s newly created Commission on Global Surgery. The commission was formed in response to the urgent global health need for better surgical access. Their goal is to explore and address the lack of access to essential surgeries in low- and middle-income countries.
Commission co-chairs, Dr. John Meara, Dr. Andy Leather, and Dr. Lars Hagander, will lead a group of 22 international experts, including DCP3 communications Technical Advisory Group member Gavin Yamey, with several goals in mind.
The primary tangible output of the commission will be a 25,000 word article in The Lancet that takes a comprehensive look at the state of global surgery. The commission will also generate a number of topic-specific primary research papers, including discussion on perioperative specialties and non-procedural aspects of surgery, as well as a series of surgical care teaching cases. These products will contain ideas of how to augment surgical care, which metrics to best measure progress, and recommendations to stakeholders on how to implement these changes.
There is a growing gap between those who have access to essential surgery and those who do not. Currently, there are at least 2 billion people in the world who lack access to basic surgical care, including cleft palate repair, obstructed labor, and cataract surgery. Lack of access to surgery can create permanent incapacities, with an estimated 11-15% of disability in the world due to surgically treatable conditions. It is therefore imperative to examine the reasons for this divergence, and prioritize feasible and innovative surgical interventions.
More information about the commission, meetings, discussions, and products can be found at their website. News and pictures directly from commissioners can be found on twitter, following @GSCommission, or using the hashtag moniker “#GlobalSurgery.”
Second Commission Meeting: June 19-20, 2014
The second meeting of the Commission was hosted by King's College London and Lund University in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Click here to access the meeting agenda, presentations, and participants.
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DCP3 Essential Surgery author Mark Shrime participates in a panel discussion on June 20th, 2014 in Sierra Leone. |
DCP3 author and Commision on Global Surgery co-chair John Meara discusses key messages, metrics, and recommendations of the commission's research. |
First Commission Meeting: January 17-18, 2014
Harvard Medical School hosted the commission, along with experts from around the world, for a two-day meeting to discuss issues of importance around global surgery. Click here to access the meeting agenda, speaker biographies, and suggested resources.
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DCP3 Essential Surgery editor Charles Mock speaks on cost and economic analysis of surgical disease at the Commision's meeting on January 17, 2014. |
Dr. Meena Cherian and DCP3 Essential Surgery editor Haile Debas. |
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Dr. Gavin Yamey, a member of the DCP3 communications technical advisory group, presents the main findings and opportunities of the Lancet Commission on Investing in Health. |
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