Surgical care, including surgery, obstetrics and anaesthesia, has long been an under-prioritized area in the field of global health, and conditions requiring surgical care have been neglected in favor of infectious diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis and malaria. We still have a long way to go to completely eradicate diseases such as these, but as more patients can be treated, we are now experiencing a shift in the disease panorama and need for health-care, especially in low and middle income countries (LMICs).

             Surgical procedures play a central role in the diagnosis, treatment and palliation of a variety of conditions that affect people from all societies and at all ages. Access to safe surgery is essential to reduce maternal mortality globally: women who have access to caesarean section and safe abortions have a far greater chance of surviving pregnancy. In the same context, surgical procedures can enable women who have been exposed to sexual violence or genital mutilation a chance to care and rehabilitation. Surgery also allows for life-saving treatment for appendicitis, injuries after road accidents or armed conflicts, and burns in children, as well as being one of the cornerstones in the treatment of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes complications.

             Despite strong evidence that basic surgical care constitutes a fundamental component in achieving the best possible health and well-being, five billion people worldwide lack access to safe surgery today. This annually results in approximately 17 million deaths that could have been averted. As with many other health inequalities, this particularly affects the poorest and most vulnerable part of the population, especially women and children. For example, it is estimated that every seventh woman in Sierra Leone is at risk of dying during childbirth, with devastating consequences for the whole family. 

             As a result of the epidemiological shift in many parts of the world today,  particularly in LMICs, the need for surgery will increase significantly within the next few decades. We know that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) cannot be achieved in 2030 if surgical, obstetric, and anesthesia care is not included. This has been recognized by an increasing number of global stakeholders, including the World Bank and World Health Organization. Despite this, the work towards increasing access to, and the quality of, surgical care globally has been slow, and there is currently a lack of funding, research, and political commitment to ensure all people's rights to equal health care and well-being. The Nordic region, including Sweden, has long been a driving force in global research, humanitarian work, and in strengthening human rights. However, a lot remains to be done for surgery, obstetrics, and anaesthesia, to give safe surgical care its rightful place on the global agenda.

             So, if the right to health and well-being is a human right, the provision of surgery can no longer be seen as a luxury only available for a few. If access to life-saving surgery in 2019 is a human right in Sweden, why should it not be equally a human right in Malawi or Guatemala? Surgery is a necessary component for the right to health and should apply to everyone. The purpose of this seminar is therefore to highlight the role and great need for surgical care globally and emphasize the work currently undertaken by global and local actors. Moreover, we will discuss how Sweden can improve the cooperation with other global health actors, and how we can accelerate the work to ensure that life-saving surgery is accessible for everyone, no matter where they are born.