WHO and robotic surgery society partner to expand global access to telesurgery

Editor's Note

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Society of Robotic Surgery (SRS) have launched a joint initiative to expand equitable access to virtual care and telesurgery, according to a WHO departmental update published August 8. The partnership, formalized in July at the SRS Annual Meeting in Strasbourg, France, brings together health leaders, ministers, and Nobel laureates to position telesurgery as a tool for strengthening surgical capacity in underserved regions.

As detailed in the update, the effort responds to the stark shortage of surgical care in low- and middle-income countries, where in some cases fewer than one trained surgeon serves 100,000 people. Advances in telecommunications and robotic-assisted surgery now make it possible to deliver expertise across borders, but WHO leaders stressed that achieving impact requires more than technology. The collaboration will also focus on building regulatory frameworks, financing models, and workforce capacity to support safe and sustainable use of digital health tools.

WHO Assistant Director-General Yukiko Nakatani, MD, PhD, said the initiative seeks to create transformative new models of equitable virtual care. This includes strengthening health systems, closing equity gaps, and creating investment strategies that ensure long-term viability. Vipul Patel, MD, executive director of SRS, noted telesurgery can improve surgical outcomes while allowing remote mentorship, making it both a clinical and humanitarian opportunity.

The initiative will establish expert groups in selected countries to co-design scalable approaches, promote locally adaptable technologies, and support remote training for surgical teams, the update reports. It will also generate investment cases tailored to resource-constrained settings and issue global guidance on safe, ethical implementation. WHO officials emphasized bridging gaps between public and private sectors, as well as between patients, providers, and investors, will be essential for success.

Leaders from WHO reportedly described the project as health systems innovation at its core, not just technological advancement. Alain Labrique, MHS, PhD, director of WHO’s Department of Data, Digital Health, Analytics and AI, emphasized digital innovations like telesurgery must be embedded within strong, people-centered health systems guided by local governance and policy. The new collaboration calls on governments, funders, and industry to help translate ambition into real-world impact for patients who currently lack access to surgical care.