Cultural competency and ethical behavior for collaboration in limited-resource settings: Guidelines from the Society of University Surgeons Academic Global Surgery Committee and the Association for Academic Global Surgery.

BACKGROUND: There are an increasing number of global surgery activities worldwide. With such tremendous growth, there is a potential risk for untoward interactions between high-income country members and low-middle income country members, leading to programmatic failure, poor results, and/or low impact. METHODS: Key concepts for cultural competency and ethical behavior were generated by the Academic Global Surgery Committee of the Society for University Surgeons in collaboration with the Association for Academic Global Surgery. Both societies ensured active participation from high-income countries and low-middle income countries. RESULTS: The guidelines provide a framework for cultural competency and ethical behavior for high-income country members when collaborating with low-middle income country partners by offering recommendations for: (1) preparation for work with low-middle income countries; (2) process standardization; (3) working with the local community; (4) limits of practice; (5) patient autonomy and consent; (6) trainees; (7) potential pitfalls; and (8) gray areas. CONCLUSION: The article provides an actionable framework to address potential cultural competency and ethical behavior issues in high-income country - low-middle income country global surgery collaborations.

Cost-effectiveness of a pediatric operating room installation in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The unmet need for pediatric surgery imposes enormous health and economic consequences globally, predominantly shouldered by Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where children comprise almost half of the population. Lack of knowledge about the economic impact of improving pediatric surgical infrastructure in SSA inhibits the informed allocation of limited resources towards the most cost-effective interventions to bolster global surgery for children. We assessed the cost-effectiveness of installing and running two dedicated pediatric operating rooms (ORs) in a hospital in Nigeria with a pre-existing pediatric surgical service by constructing a decision tree model of pediatric surgical delivery at this facility over a year, comparing scenarios before and after the installation of the ORs, which were funded philanthropically. Health outcomes measured in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) averted were informed by the hospital's operative registry and prior literature. We adopted an all healthcare payor's perspective including costs incurred by the local healthcare system, the installation (funded by the charity), and patients' families. Costs were annualized and reported in 2021 United States dollars ($). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) of the annualized OR installation and operation were presented. One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed. We found that installing and operating two dedicated pediatric ORs averted 538 DALYs and cost $177,527 annually. The ICER of the ORs' installation and operation was $330 per DALY averted (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 315-336) from the all healthcare payor's perspective. This ICER was well under the cost-effectiveness threshold of the country's half-GDP per capita in 2020 ($1043) and remained cost-effective in one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. Installation of additional dedicated pediatric operating rooms in Nigeria with pre-existing pediatric surgical capacity is therefore very cost-effective, supporting investment in children's global surgical infrastructure as an economically sound intervention.

Evaluating Global Surgery Partnerships From Low and Middle Income Country Perspectives.

INTRODUCTION: Little is known about perceptions of low-income and middle-income country (LMIC) partners regarding global surgery collaborations with high-income countries (HICs). METHODS: A survey was distributed to surgeons from LMICs to assess the nature and perception of collaborations, funding, benefits, communication, and the effects of COVID-19 on partnerships. RESULTS: We received 19 responses from LMIC representatives in 12 countries on three continents. The majority (83%) had participated in collaborations within the past 5 y with 39% of collaborations were facilitated virtually. Clinical and educational partnerships (39% each) were ranked most important by respondents. Sustainability of the partnership was most successfully achieved in domains of education/training (78%) and research (61%). The majority (77%) of respondents reported expressing their needs before HIC team arrival. However, 54% of respondents were the ones to initiate the conversation and only 47% said HIC partners understood the overall environment well at arrival to LMIC. Almost all participants (95%) felt a formal process of collaboration and a structured partnership would benefit all parties in assessing needs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, 87% of participants reported continued collaborations; however, 44% of partners felt that relationships were weaker, 31% felt relationships were stronger, and 25% felt they were unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides a snapshot of LMIC surgeons' perspectives on collaboration in global surgery. Independent of location, LMIC partners cite inadequate structure for long-term collaborations. We propose a formal pathway and initiation process to assess resources and needs at the outset of a partnership.

Outcome of Transanal Endorectal Pull-Through in Patients with Hirschsprung's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Transanal endorectal pull-through (TERPT) has become one of the preferred treatments for Hirschsprung's disease (HD) in our setting. This report aims to evaluate the current outcome of TERPT in the setting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of 71 children who had TERPT for histologically-confirmed HD in 11 years (2006-2017) in Nigeria. RESULTS: There were 48 boys and 23 girls; aged 3 days-12 years at initial presentation (median = 10 months). Three (4.2%) patients had associated anomalies (duodenal atresia; anorectal malformation and sensorineural deafness with hypopigmented skin patches each). Age at TERPT was 2 months to 15 years (median = 3 years), with surgery waiting time of 1 month-14.9 years (median = 18 months). Sixty-six (93.0%) patients had rectosigmoid, four (5.6%) patients had long segment and one (1.4%) had total colonic disease. Five (7.0%) patients with large megacolon and one (1.4%) with the total colonic disease had assisted abdominal resection of the colon at TERPT. Seventeen (23.9%) patients had post-operative complications, including post-operative enterocolitis 8 (11.3%); anastomotic dehiscence 3 (4.2%); retained aganglionic segment 2 (2.8%); anastomotic stenosis 2 (2.8%), resulting in prolonged hospital stay (P = 0.0001; range = 1-30 days; median = 5 days). The mortality rate was 4.2% (3) from malignant hyperthermia in one patient and in 2 patients, the cause of mortality was unclear. Patients were followed up for 3-6 years (median = 3.5 years). Bowel movement stabilised to 2-4 times daily by 6 weeks after surgery. CONCLUSION: TERPT is a safe treatment for HD in this setting with good short-term outcomes. Longer follow-up is necessary to further evaluate the long-term bowel movement outcomes.!

Gaps and priorities in innovation for children's surgery.

Lack of access to pediatric medical devices and innovative technology contributes to global disparities in children's surgical care. There are currently many barriers that prevent access to these technologies in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Technologies that were designed for the needs of high-income countries (HICs) may not fit the resources available in LMICs. Likewise, obtaining these devices are costly and require supply chain infrastructure. Once these technologies have reached the LMIC, there are many issues with sustainability and maintenance of the devices. Ideally, devices would be created for the needs and resources of LMICs, but there are many obstacles to innovation that are imposed by institutions in both HICs and LMICs. Fortunately, there is a growing interest for development of this space, and there are many examples of current technologies that are paving the way for future innovations. Innovations in simulation-based training with incorporated learner self-assessment are needed to fast-track skills acquisition for both specialist trainees and non-specialist children's surgery providers, to scale up access for the larger population of children. Pediatric laparoscopy and imaging are some of the innovations that could make a major impact in children's surgery worldwide.

Correction: Academic global surgical competencies: A modified Delphi consensus study.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0002102.].

Advocating for children's surgery within country health plans: lessons from Nigeria and the global stage.

Background: Despite the growing emphasis on provision of quality safe and affordable surgical care in low- and middle-income countries, and the World Health Assembly resolution 68. 15 on strengthening emergency and essential surgical care and anesthesia as components of universal health coverage, a review of published surgical plans of various countries, revealed a lack of emphasis on children's surgery. Due to the peculiarities of the human resource, infrastructure and equipment required for children's surgery, a lack of deliberate actions and policies targeted at strengthening surgical care for children implies that achieving universal health coverage for children may not be a reality in this setting. Methods: A baseline assessment of children's surgical capacity was conducted in Nigeria as a part of the National Surgical Obstetrics Anesthesia and Nursing Plan (NSOANP) process. The assessment was done using the World Health Organization (WHO) hospital assessment tool modified for children's surgery (Children Surgical Assessment Tool). Results: Significant infrastructural gaps were found, with an abysmally low density of pediatric surgeons and anaesthesiologists, poor emergency preparedness, lack of reliable surgical data and non-inclusion of children's surgery in the national strategic health plan. Using the Global Initiative for Children's Surgery's (GICS) Optimal Resources for Children's Surgical Care (OReCS) document and focusing on the strategic goals and priorities, children's surgery was incorporated into the NSOANP. Implementation of the plan is currently ongoing. Conclusion: From Nigeria's experience, appropriate advocacy and inclusion of children surgery providers in policy making will promote prioritization of children's surgery in country health and surgical plans.

National Surgical Healthcare Policy Development and Implementation: Where do We Stand in Africa?

BACKGROUND: National surgical policies have been increasingly adopted by African countries over the past decade. This report is intended to provide an overview of the current state of adoption of national surgical healthcare policies in Africa, and to draw a variety of lessons from representative surgical plans in order to support transnational learning. METHODS: Through a desk review of available African national surgical healthcare plans and written contributions from a committee comprising six African surgical policy development experts, a few key lessons from five healthcare plans were outlined and iteratively reviewed. RESULTS: The current state of national surgical healthcare policies across Africa was visually mapped, and lessons from a few compelling examples are highlighted. These include the power of initiative from Senegal; regional leadership from Zambia; contextualization, and renewal of commitment from Ethiopia; multidisciplinary focus and creation of multiple implementation entry points from Nigeria; partnerships and involvement of multiple stakeholders from Rwanda; and the challenge of surgical policy financing from Tanzania. The availability of global expertise, the power of global partnerships, and the critical role of health ministries and Ministers of Health in planning and implementation have also been highlighted. CONCLUSIONS: Strategic planning for surgical healthcare improvement is at various stages across the continent, with potential for countries to learn from one another. Convenings of stakeholders and Ministers of Health from countries at various stages of strategic surgical plan development, execution, and evaluation can enhance African surgical policy development through the exchange of ideas, lessons, and experiences.

Academic global surgical competencies: A modified Delphi consensus study.

Academic global surgery is a rapidly growing field that aims to improve access to safe surgical care worldwide. However, no universally accepted competencies exist to inform this developing field. A consensus-based approach, with input from a diverse group of experts, is needed to identify essential competencies that will lead to standardization in this field. A task force was set up using snowball sampling to recruit a broad group of content and context experts in global surgical and perioperative care. A draft set of competencies was revised through the modified Delphi process with two rounds of anonymous input. A threshold of 80% consensus was used to determine whether a competency or sub-competency learning objective was relevant to the skillset needed within academic global surgery and perioperative care. A diverse task force recruited experts from 22 countries to participate in both rounds of the Delphi process. Of the n = 59 respondents completing both rounds of iterative polling, 63% were from low- or middle-income countries. After two rounds of anonymous feedback, participants reached consensus on nine core competencies and 31 sub-competency objectives. The greatest consensus pertained to competency in ethics and professionalism in global surgery (100%) with emphasis on justice, equity, and decolonization across multiple competencies. This Delphi process, with input from experts worldwide, identified nine competencies which can be used to develop standardized academic global surgery and perioperative care curricula worldwide. Further work needs to be done to validate these competencies and establish assessments to ensure that they are taught effectively.

From research to a political commitment to strengthen access to surgical, obstetric, and anesthesia care in Africa by 2030.

Objective: This study aimed to engage African leaders and key stakeholders to commit themselves toward the strengthening of surgical, obstetric, and anesthesia care systems by 2030 in Africa. Methods: From research to a political commitment, a baseline assessment was performed to foster the identification of the gaps in surgical care as a first step of an inclusive process. The preliminary findings were discussed during the International Symposium on Surgical, Obstetric, and Anesthesia Systems Strengthening by 2030 in Africa. The conclusions served to draft the Dakar Declaration and its Regional Action Plan 2022-2030 to improve access to surgical care by 2030 in Africa, endorsed by Heads of State. Results: The International Symposium was composed of two meetings that gathered (i) 85 scientific experts and (ii) 28 ministers of health or representatives from 28 sub-Saharan African countries. The 28 African countries represent (i) 51% of the continent's total population, (ii) 68% of the 47 African countries of the WHO Africa Region, (iii) 58% of all African Union countries, and (vi) 79% (3,371) of the WHO Africa Region's total (4,271) health districts. The International Symposium and the Heads of State Summit successfully produced the Dakar Declaration on access to equitable, affordable, and quality Surgical, Obstetric, and Anesthesia Care by 2030 in Africa and its Regional Actions Plan 2022-2030 which prioritizes 12 urgent actions needed to be implemented, six strategic priorities, 16 key indicators, and an annual dashboard to monitor progress. Conclusion: The Dakar Declaration and its Regional Action Plan 2022-2030 are a commitment to establish quality and sustainable surgical, obstetric, and anesthesia care in each African country within the ambitious framework of "The Africa we want" Agenda 2063.

Out-of-pocket costs and catastrophic healthcare expenditure for families of children requiring surgery in sub-Saharan Africa.

BACKGROUND: Out-of-pocket healthcare costs leading to catastrophic healthcare expenditure pose a financial threat for families of children undergoing surgery in Sub-Saharan African countries, where universal healthcare coverage is often insufficient. METHODS: A prospective clinical and socioeconomic data collection tool was used in African hospitals with dedicated pediatric operating rooms installed philanthropically. Clinical data were collected via chart review and socioeconomic data from families. The primary indicator of economic burden was the proportion of families with catastrophic healthcare expenditures. Secondary indicators included the percentage who borrowed money, sold possessions, forfeited wages, and lost a job secondary to their child's surgery. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression were performed to identify predictors of catastrophic healthcare expenditure. RESULTS: In all, 2,296 families of pediatric surgical patients from 6 countries were included. The median annual income was $1,000 (interquartile range 308-2,563), whereas the median out-of-pocket cost was $60 (interquartile range 26-174). Overall, 39.9% (n = 915) families incurred catastrophic healthcare expenditure, 23.3% (n = 533) borrowed money, 3.8% (n = 88%) sold possessions, 26.4% (n = 604) forfeited wages, and 2.3% (n = 52) lost a job because of the child's surgery. Catastrophic healthcare expenditure was associated with older age, emergency cases, need for transfusion, reoperation, antibiotics, and longer length of stay, whereas the subgroup analysis found insurance to be protective (odds ratio 0.22, P = .002). CONCLUSION: A full 40% of families of children in sub-Saharan Africa who undergo surgery incur catastrophic healthcare expenditure, shouldering economic consequences such as forfeited wages and debt. Intensive resource utilization and reduced insurance coverage in older children may contribute to a higher likelihood of catastrophic healthcare expenditure and can be insurance targets for policymakers.

Surgically Correctable Congenital Anomalies: Reducing Morbidity and Mortality in the First 8000 Days of Life.

BACKGROUND: Congenital anomalies are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. We aimed to review the common surgically correctable congenital anomalies with recent updates on the global disease burden and identify the factors affecting morbidity and mortality. METHOD: A literature review was done to assess the burden of surgical congenital anomalies with emphasis on those that present within the first 8000 days of life. The various patterns of diseases were analyzed in both low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) and high-income countries (HIC). RESULTS: Surgical problems such as digestive congenital anomalies, congenital heart disease and neural tube defects are now seen more frequently. The burden of disease weighs more heavily on LMIC. Cleft lip and palate has gained attention and appropriate treatment within many countries, and its care has been strengthened by global surgical partnerships. Antenatal scans and timely diagnosis are important factors affecting morbidity and mortality. The frequency of pregnancy termination following prenatal diagnosis of a congenital anomaly is lower in many LMIC than in HIC. CONCLUSION: Congenital heart disease and neural tube defects are the most common congenital surgical diseases; however, easily treatable gastrointestinal anomalies are underdiagnosed due to the invisible nature of the condition. Current healthcare systems in most LMICs are still unprepared to tackle the burden of disease caused by congenital anomalies. Increased investment in surgical services is needed.

Routine Pediatric Surgical Emergencies: Incidence, Morbidity, and Mortality During the 1st 8000 Days of Life-A Narrative Review.

BACKGROUND: Many potentially treatable non-congenital and non-traumatic surgical conditions can occur during the first 8000 days of life and an estimated 85% of children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) will develop one before 15 years old. This review summarizes the common routine surgical emergencies in children from LMICs and their effects on morbidity and mortality. METHODS: A narrative review was undertaken to assess the epidemiology, treatment, and outcomes of common surgical emergencies that present within the first 8000 days (or 21.9 years) of life in LMICs. Available data on pediatric surgical emergency care in LMICs were aggregated. RESULTS: Outside of trauma, acute appendicitis, ileal perforation secondary to typhoid fever, and intestinal obstruction from intussusception and hernias continue to be the most common abdominal emergencies among children in LMICs. Musculoskeletal infections also contribute significantly to the surgical burden in children. These "neglected" conditions disproportionally affect children in LMICs and are due to delays in seeking care leading to late presentation and preventable complications. Pediatric surgical emergencies also necessitate heavy resource utilization in LMICs, where healthcare systems are already under strain. CONCLUSIONS: Delays in care and resource limitations in LMIC healthcare systems are key contributors to the complicated and emergent presentation of pediatric surgical disease. Timely access to surgery can not only prevent long-term impairments but also preserve the impact of public health interventions and decrease costs in the overall healthcare system.

Assessing the inclusion of children's surgical care in National Surgical, Obstetric and Anaesthesia Plans: a policy content analysis.

OBJECTIVE: While National Surgical, Obstetric and Anaesthesia Plans (NSOAPs) have emerged as a strategy to strengthen and scale up surgical healthcare systems in low/middle-income countries (LMICs), the degree to which children's surgery is addressed is not well-known. This study aims to assess the inclusion of children's surgical care among existing NSOAPs, identify practice examples and provide recommendations to guide inclusion of children's surgical care in future policies. DESIGN: We performed two qualitative content analyses to assess the inclusion of children's surgical care among NSOAPs. We applied a conventional (inductive) content analysis approach to identify themes and patterns, and developed a framework based on the Global Initiative for Children's Surgery's Optimal Resources for Children's Surgery document. We then used this framework to conduct a directed (deductive) content analysis of the NSOAPs of Ethiopia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania and Zambia. RESULTS: Our framework for the inclusion of children's surgical care in NSOAPs included seven domains. We evaluated six NSOAPs with all addressing at least two of the domains. All six NSOAPs addressed 'human resources and training' and 'infrastructure', four addressed 'service delivery', three addressed 'governance and financing', two included 'research, evaluation and quality improvement', and one NSOAP addressed 'equipment and supplies' and 'advocacy and awareness'. CONCLUSIONS: Additional focus must be placed on the development of surgical healthcare systems for children in LMICs. This requires a focus on children's surgical care separate from adult surgical care in the scaling up of surgical healthcare systems, including children-focused needs assessments and the inclusion of children's surgery providers in the process. This study proposes a framework for evaluating NSOAPs, highlights practice examples and suggests recommendations for the development of future policies.

Pediatric Surgical Waitlist in Low Middle Income Countries During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: Coronavirus disease-19 led to a significant reduction in surgery worldwide. Studies, however, of the effect on surgical volume for pediatric patients in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) are limited. METHODS: A survey was developed to estimate waitlists in LMICs for priority surgical conditions in children. The survey was piloted and revised before it was deployed over email to 19 surgeons. Pediatric surgeons at 15 different sites in eight countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Ecuador completed the survey from February 2021 to June 2021. The survey included the total number of children awaiting surgery and estimates for specific conditions. Respondents were also able to add additional procedures. RESULTS: Public hospitals had longer wait times than private facilities. The median waitlist was 90 patients, and the median wait time was 2 mo for elective surgeries. CONCLUSIONS: Lengthy surgical wait times affect surgical access in LMICs. Coronavirus disease-19 had been associated with surgical delays around the world, exacerbating existing surgical backlogs. Our results revealed significant delays for elective, urgent, and emergent cases across sub-Saharan Africa. Stakeholders should consider approaches to scale the limited surgical and perioperative resources in LMICs, create mitigation strategies for future pandemics, and establish ways to monitor waitlists on an ongoing basis.

Realigning Global Health Realities Towards Children's Surgery: Progress and Possibilities.

Despite the high population of children, increasing surgical disease burden and shortage of pediatric surgeons, as well as limited infrastructure, children's surgical care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has been neglected for decades. This has contributed to unacceptably high morbidity and mortality, long term disabilities and economic loss to families. The work of the global initiative for children's surgery (GICS) has raised the profile and visibility of children's surgery in the global health space. This has been achieved a philosophy of inclusiveness, LMIC participation, focus on LMIC needs and high income country (HIC) support, and driven by implementation to change on the ground situations. Children's operating rooms are being installed to strengthen infrastructure and children's surgery is being gradually included in national surgical plans to provide the policy framework to support children's surgical care. In Nigeria, pediatric surgery workforce has increased from 35 in 2003 to 127 in 2002, but the density remains low at 0.14 per 100,000 population <15 years. Education and training have been strengthened with the publication of a pediatric surgery textbook for Africa and creation of a Pan Africa pediatric surgery e-learning platform. However, financing children's surgery in LMICs remains a barrier as many families are at risk of catastrophic healthcare expenditure. The success of these efforts provides encouraging examples of what can be collectively achieve by appropriate and mutually beneficial global north-south collaborations. Pediatric surgeons need to commit their time, knowledge and skills, as well as experience and voices to strengthen children's surgery globally to impact more lives, for the overall good of more.