Study: Global access to surgery deemed a crisis, leaves 160 million without care

Editor's Note

At least 160 million people worldwide are unable to receive essential surgical care each year, with low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) most affected, News Medical Life Sciences July 15 reports. The study, published in The Lancet and led by the University of Birmingham’s NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery, found only 26% of LMICs are on track to meet the target of providing access to essential surgery within 2 hours, and none have reached the benchmark of 5,000 procedures per 100,000 people annually.

As detailed in the article, quality of surgical care is also a major concern. Each year, 3.5 million adults die within 30 days of surgery—outnumbering combined annual deaths from HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. Fifty million patients experience postoperative complications, with wound infections most common. In LMICs, up to 96% of infected wounds are linked to antimicrobial resistance, highlighting surgery’s role in worsening this global health threat.

Per the outlet, the authors call for reframing surgery as a core component of health systems rather than a separate specialty. They recommend investing in surgical infrastructure to strengthen diagnostics, intensive care, and access to essential medications. Expanding surgical capacity for treatable cancers such as breast, stomach, colon, and rectal cancers in LMICs could allow 884,000 people to return to work and boost the global economy by more than $80 billion annually.

The report urges innovative funding models to reduce catastrophic out-of-pocket costs, which affect half of LMIC cancer surgery patients. It also calls for making surgical systems more resilient to emergencies like pandemics, climate change, and armed conflict, noting limited progress since COVID-19. Additional recommendations include adopting circular economy practices to reduce operating theatre waste and emissions, addressing gender disparities in surgical leadership, and improving access for marginalized populations.

The study links surgical system improvements directly to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, citing benefits for health outcomes, economic productivity, and national security. It proposes new global benchmarks for 2025–2035 to track progress and ensure accountability, warning that widespread health funding cuts this year threaten the effort.