Priorities for the global advancement of care for older adults with cancer: an update of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology Priorities Initiative.

In 2011, the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) published the SIOG 10 Priorities Initiative, which defined top priorities for the improvement of the care of older adults with cancer worldwide.1 Substantial scientific, clinical, and educational progress has been made in line with these priorities and international health policy developments have occurred, such as the shift of emphasis by WHO from communicable to non-communicable diseases and the adoption by the UN of its Sustainable Development Goals 2030. Therefore, SIOG has updated its priority list. The present document addresses four priority domains: education, clinical practice, research, and strengthening collaborations and partnerships. In this Policy Review, we reflect on how these priorities would apply in different economic settings, namely in high-income countries versus low-income and middle-income countries. SIOG hopes that it will offer guidance for international and national endeavours to provide adequate universal health coverage for older adults with cancer, who represent a major and rapidly growing group in global epidemiology.

Global community perception of 'surgical care' as a public health issue: a cross sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: In the last decade surgical care has been propelled into the public health domain with the establishment of a World Health Organisation (WHO) designated programme and key publications. The passing of the historic World Health Assembly Resolution (WHA) acknowledged surgical care as a vital component towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC). We conducted the first worldwide survey to explore the perception of surgical care as a public health issue. METHOD: The anonymous, cross sectional survey targeted worldwide participants across a range of professional backgrounds, including non-medical using virtual snowball sampling method (in English) using Google Forms (Google Inc., Mountain View, CA, USA) from 20th February 2019 to 25th June 2019. The survey questions were designed to gauge awareness on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UHC, WHO programmes and key publications on surgical care as well as perception of surgical care as a priority topic in public health. RESULTS: The survey was completed by 1954 respondents from 118 countries. Respondents were least aware of surgical care as a teaching topic in public health courses (27%; n = 526) and as a WHO programme (20%; n = 384). 82% of respondents were aware of UHC (n = 1599) and of this 72% (n = 1152) agreed that surgical care fits within UHC. While 77% (n = 1495) of respondents were aware of SDGs, only 19% (n = 370) agreed that surgery was a priority to meet SDGs. 48% (n = 941) rated surgical care as a cost-effective component of Primary Health Care. 88% (n = 1712) respondents had not read the WHA Resolution on 'Strengthening emergency and essential surgical care and anaesthesia as a component of UHC'. CONCLUSION: There is still a widespread gap in awareness on the importance of surgical care as a public health issue amongst our respondents. Surgical care was not seen as a priority to reach the SDGs, less visible as a WHO programme and not perceived as an important topic for public health courses.

Surgical Human Resources According to Types of Health Care Facility: An Assessment in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

BACKGROUND: A robust health care system providing safe surgical care to a population can only be achieved in conjunction with access to competent surgical personnel. It has been reported that 5 billion people do not have access to safe, affordable surgical and anaesthesia care when needed. This study aims to fill the existing gap in evidence by quantifying shortfalls in trained personnel delivering safe surgical and anaesthetic care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) according to the type of health care facility. METHODS: We conducted secondary analysis of 1323 health facilities, in 35 low- and middle-income countries using facility-based cross-sectional data from the World Health Organization Situational Analysis Tool to Assess Emergency and Essential Surgical Care. RESULTS: The majority of surgical and anaesthetic care in LMICs was provided by general doctors (range 13.8-41.1%; mean 27.1%). Non-physicians made up a significant proportion of the surgical workforce in LMICs. 26.76% of the surgical and anaesthetic workforce was provided by clinical medical officers and nurses. Private/NGO/mission hospitals, large, well-resourced institutions had the highest proportion of surgeons compared to any other type of health care facility at 27.92%. This compares to figures of 18.2 and 19.96% of surgeons at health centres and subdistrict/community hospitals, respectively, representing the lowest level of health facility. CONCLUSIONS: We highlight the significant proportion of non-physicians delivering surgical and anaesthetic care in LMICs and illustrate wide variations according to the type of health care facility.

Survey of Emergency and Essential Surgical, Obstetric and Anaesthetic Services Available in Bangladeshi Government Health Facilities.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the capacity of government-run hospitals in Bangladesh to provide emergency and essential surgical, obstetric and anaesthetic services. METHODS: Cross-sectional survey of 240 Bangladeshi Government healthcare facilities using the World Health Organisation Situational Analysis Tool to Assess Emergency and Essential Surgical Care (SAT). This tool evaluates the ability of a healthcare facility to provide basic surgical, obstetric and anaesthetic care based on 108 queries that detail the infrastructure and population demographics, human resources, surgical interventions and reason for referral, and available surgical equipment and supplies. For this survey, the Bangladeshi Ministry of Health sent the SAT to sub-district, district/general and teaching hospitals throughout the country in April 2013. RESULTS: Responses were received from 240 healthcare facilities (49.5% response rate): 218 sub-district and 22 district/general hospitals. At the sub-district level, caesarean section was offered by 55% of facilities, laparotomy by 7% and open fracture repair by 8%. At the district/general hospital level, 95% offered caesarean section, 86% offered laparotomy and 77% offered open fracture treatment. Availability of anaesthesia services, general equipment and supplies reflected this trend, where district/general hospitals were better equipped than sub-district hospitals, though equipment and infrastructure shortages persist. CONCLUSION: There has been overall impressive progress by the Bangladeshi Government in providing essential surgical services. Areas for improvement remain across all key areas, including infrastructure, human resources, surgical interventions offered and available equipment. Investment in surgical services offers a cost-effective opportunity to continue to improve the health of the Bangladeshi population and move the country towards universal healthcare coverage.

Assessment of Acute Burn Management in 32 Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to ascertain whether acute burn management (ABM) is available at health facilities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). METHOD: The study used the World Health Organization situational analysis tool (SAT) which is designed to assess emergency and essential surgical care and includes data points relevant to the acute management of burns. The SAT was available for 1413 health facilities in 59 countries. RESULTS: A majority (1036, 77.5 %) of the health facilities are able to perform ABM. The main reasons for the referral of ABM are lack of skills (53.4 %) and non-functioning equipment (52.2 %). Considering health centres and district/rural/community hospitals that referred due to lack of supplies/drugs and/or non-functioning equipment, almost half of the facilities were not able to provide continuous and consistent access to the equipment required either for resuscitation or to perform burn wound debridement. Out of the facilities that performed ABM, 379 (36.6 %) are capable of carrying out skin grafts and contracture release, which is indicative of their ability to manage full thickness burns. However the magnitude of full thickness burns managed was limited in half of these facilities, as they did not have access to a blood bank. CONCLUSION: The initial management of acute burns is generally available in LMICs, however it is constrained by the inability to perform resuscitation (19 %) and/or burn wound debridement (10 %). For more severe burns, an inability to perform skin grafting or contracture release limits definitive management of full thickness burns, whilst lack of availability to blood further compromises the treatment of major burns.

Bellwether Procedures for Monitoring and Planning Essential Surgical Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Caesarean Delivery, Laparotomy, and Treatment of Open Fractures.

BACKGROUND: Surgical conditions represent a significant proportion of the global burden of disease, and therefore, surgery is an essential component of health systems. Achieving universal health coverage requires effective monitoring of access to surgery. However, there is no widely accepted standard for the required capabilities of a first-level hospital. We aimed to determine whether a group of operations could be used to describe the delivery of essential surgical care. METHODS: We convened an expert panel to identify procedures that might indicate the presence of resources needed to treat an appropriate range of surgical conditions at first-level hospitals. Using data from the World Health Organization Emergency and Essential Surgical Care Global database, collected using the WHO Situational Analysis Tool (SAT), we analysed whether the ability to perform each of these procedures-which we term "bellwether procedures"-was associated with performing a full range of essential surgical procedures. FINDINGS: The ability to perform caesarean delivery, laparotomy, and treatment of open fracture was closely associated with performing all obstetric, general, basic, emergency, and orthopaedic procedures (p < 0.001) in the population that responded to the WHO SAT Survey. Procedures including cleft lip, cataract, and neonatal surgery did not correlate with performing the bellwether procedures. INTERPRETATION: Caesarean delivery, laparotomy, and treatment of open fractures should be standard procedures performed at first-level hospitals. With further validation in other populations, local managers and health ministries may find this useful as a benchmark for what first-level hospitals can and should be able to perform on a 24/7 basis in order to ensure delivery of emergency and essential surgical care to their population. Those procedures which did not correlate with the bellwether procedures can be referred to a specialized centre or collected for treatment by a visiting specialist team.

Estimation of Surgery Capacity in Haiti: Nationwide Survey of Hospitals.

BACKGROUND: Haiti's surgical capacity was significantly strained by the 2010 earthquake. As the government and its partners rebuild the health system, emergency and essential surgical care must be a priority. METHODS: A validated, facility-based assessment tool developed by WHO was completed by 45 hospitals nationwide. The hospitals were assessed for (1) infrastructure, (2) human resources, (3) surgical interventions and emergency care, and (4) material resources for resuscitation. Fisher's exact test was used to compare hospitals by sectors: public compared to private and mixed (public-private partnerships). RESULTS: The 45 hospitals included first-referral level to the national referral hospital: 20 were public sector and 25 were private or mixed sector. Blood banks (33% availability) and oxygen concentrators (58%) were notable infrastructural deficits. For human resources, 69% and 33% of hospitals employed at least one full-time surgeon and anaesthesiologist, respectively. Ninety-eight percent of hospitals reported capacity to perform resuscitation. General and obstetrical surgical interventions were relatively more available, for example 93% provided hernia repairs and 98% provided cesarean sections. More specialized interventions were at a deficit: cataract surgery (27%), cleft repairs (31%), clubfoot (42%), and open treatment of fractures (51%). CONCLUSION: Deficiencies in infrastructure and material resources were widespread and should be urgently addressed. Physician providers were mal-distributed relative to non-physician providers. Formal task-sharing to midlevel and general physician providers should be considered. The parity between public and private or mixed sector hospitals in availability of Ob/Gyn surgical interventions is evidence of concerted efforts to reduce maternal mortality. This ought to provide a roadmap for strengthening of surgical care capacity.

Assessment of cesarean delivery availability in 26 low- and middle-income countries: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to assess the capacity to provide cesarean delivery (CD) in health facilities in low- and middle-income countries. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted secondary analysis of 719 health facilities, in 26 countries in Africa, the Pacific, Asia, and the Mediterranean, using facility-based cross-sectional data from the World Health Organization Situational Analysis Tool to Assess Emergency and Essential Surgical Care. RESULTS: A total of 531 (73.8%) facilities reported performing CD. In all, 126 (17.5%) facilities did not perform but referred CD; the most common reasons for doing so were lack of skills (53.2%) and nonfunctioning equipment (42.9%). All health facilities surveyed had at least 1 operating room. Of the facilities performing CD, 47.3% did not report the presence of any type of anesthesia provider and 17.9% did not report the presence of any type of obstetric/gynecological or surgical care provider. In facilities reporting a lack of functioning equipment, 26.4% had no access to an oxygen supply, 60.8% had no access to an anesthesia machine, and 65.9% had no access to a blood bank. CONCLUSION: Provision of CD in facilities in low- and middle-income countries is hindered by a lack of an adequate anesthetic and surgical workforce and availability of oxygen, anesthesia, and blood banks.

Fake-news-free evidence-based communication for proper vein-lymphatic disease management.

Published scientific evidence demonstrate the current spread of healthcare misinformation in the most popular social networks and unofficial communication channels. Up to 40% of the medical websites were identified reporting inappropriate information, moreover being shared more than 450,000 times in a 5-year-time frame. The phenomenon is particularly spread in infective diseases medicine, oncology and cardiovascular medicine. The present document is the result of a scientific and educational endeavor by a worldwide group of top experts who selected and analyzed the major issues and related evidence-based facts on vein and lymphatic management. A section of this work is entirely dedicated to the patients and therefore written in layman terms, with the aim of improving public vein-lymphatic awareness. The part dedicated to the medical professionals includes a revision of the current literature, summing up the statements that are fully evidence-based in venous and lymphatic disease management, and suggesting future lines of research to fulfill the still unmet needs. The document has been written following an intense digital interaction among dedicated working groups, leading to an institutional project presentation during the Universal Expo in Dubai, in the occasion of the v-WINter 2022 meeting.

Cancer in the older Indian population: Understanding the current context in an emerging economy.

India is considered a demographically young country with over 65% of the population aged below 35 years. However, improvements in maternal and child health, and infectious diseases, have created a rapid epidemiological transition with an aging population (8.6% in 2011) with a projected increase (19% by 2050), equating to 104 million. In addition to the well-articulated issues surrounding the care of the older patients with cancer, the Indian context as an emerging economy provides additional social, political, economic and clinical challenges. This review addresses the key issues and possible solutions germane to both policymakers in India and other emerging economies. Extension of cancer prevention, equal, optimal treatment opportunities, and inclusion in clinical trials, akin to the younger population, must be encouraged. Various national health initiatives require effective implementation, to provide uniform, evidence-based, cancer care across India. Designated geriatric oncology departments, and required care at the primary healthcare level are essential.

Emergency, anaesthetic and essential surgical capacity in the Gambia.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the resources for essential and emergency surgical care in the Gambia. METHODS: The World Health Organization's Tool for Situation Analysis to Assess Emergency and Essential Surgical Care was distributed to health-care managers in facilities throughout the country. The survey was completed by 65 health facilities - one tertiary referral hospital, 7 district/general hospitals, 46 health centres and 11 private health facilities - and included 110 questions divided into four sections: (i) infrastructure, type of facility, population served and material resources; (ii) human resources; (iii) management of emergency and other surgical interventions; (iv) emergency equipment and supplies for resuscitation. Questionnaire data were complemented by interviews with health facility staff, Ministry of Health officials and representatives of nongovernmental organizations. FINDINGS: Important deficits were identified in infrastructure, human resources, availability of essential supplies and ability to perform trauma, obstetric and general surgical procedures. Of the 18 facilities expected to perform surgical procedures, 50.0% had interruptions in water supply and 55.6% in electricity. Only 38.9% of facilities had a surgeon and only 16.7% had a physician anaesthetist. All facilities had limited ability to perform basic trauma and general surgical procedures. Of public facilities, 54.5% could not perform laparotomy and 58.3% could not repair a hernia. Only 25.0% of them could manage an open fracture and 41.7% could perform an emergency procedure for an obstructed airway. CONCLUSION: The present survey of health-care facilities in the Gambia suggests that major gaps exist in the physical and human resources needed to carry out basic life-saving surgical interventions.

Assessment of surgical and obstetrical care at 10 district hospitals in Ghana using on-site interviews.

BACKGROUND: For most of the population in Africa, district hospitals represent the first level of access for emergency and essential surgical services. The present study documents the number and availability of surgical and obstetrical care providers as well as the types of surgical and obstetrical procedures being performed at 10 first-referral district hospitals in Ghana. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After institutional review board and governmental approval, a study team composed of Ghanaian and American surgeons performed on-site surveys at 10 district hospitals in 10 different regions of Ghana in August 2009. Face-to-face interviews were conducted documenting the numbers and availability of surgical and obstetrical personnel as well as gathering data relating to the number and types of procedures being performed at the facilities. RESULTS: A total of 68 surgical and obstetrical providers were interviewed. Surgical and obstetrical care providers consisted of Medical Officers (8.5%), nurse anesthetists (6%), theatre nurses (33%), midwives (50.7%), and others (4.5%). Major surgical cases represented 37% of overall case volumes with cesarean section as the most common type of major surgical procedure performed. The most common minor surgical procedures performed were suturing of lacerations or episiotomies. CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrates that there is a substantial shortage of adequately trained surgeons who can perform surgical and obstetrical procedures at first-referral facilities. Addressing human resource needs and further defining practice constraints at the district hospital level are important facets of future planning and policy implementation.

Quantifying surgical and anesthetic availability at primary health facilities in Mongolia.

BACKGROUND: Significant barriers limit the safe and timely provision of surgical and anaesthetic care in low- and middle-income countries. Nearly one-half of Mongolia's population resides in rural areas where the austere geography makes travel for adequate surgical care very difficult. Our goal was to characterize the availability of surgical and anaesthetic services, in terms of infrastructure capability, physical resources (supplies and equipment), and human resources for health at primary level health facilities in Mongolia. METHODS: A situational analysis of the capacity to deliver emergency and essential surgical care (EESC) was performed in a nonrandom sample of 44 primary health facilities throughout Mongolia. RESULTS: Significant shortfalls were noted in the capacity to deliver surgical and anesthetic services. Deficiencies in infrastructure and supplies were common, and there were no trained surgeons or anaesthesiologists at any of the health facilities sampled. Most procedures were performed by general doctors and paraprofessionals, and occasionally visiting surgeons from higher levels of the health system. While basic interventions such as suturing or abscess drainage were commonly performed, the availability of many essential interventions was absent at a significant number of facilities. CONCLUSIONS: This situational analysis of the availability of essential surgical and anesthetic services identified significant deficiencies in infrastructure, supplies, and equipment, as well as a lack of human resources at the primary referral level facilities in Mongolia. Given the significant travel distances to secondary level facilities for the majority of the rural population, there is an urgent need to strengthen the delivery of essential surgical and anaesthetic services at the primary referral level (soum and intersoum). This will require a multidisciplinary, multi-sectoral effort aimed to improve infrastructure, procure and maintain essential equipment and supplies, and train appropriate health professionals.

Assessment of capacity for surgery, obstetrics and anaesthesia in 17 Ghanaian hospitals using a WHO assessment tool.

OBJECTIVES: To survey infrastructure characteristics, personnel, equipment and procedures of surgical, obstetric and anaesthesia care in 17 hospitals in Ghana. METHODS: The assessment was completed by WHO country offices using the World Health Organization Tool for Situational Analysis to Assess Emergency and Essential Surgical Care, which surveyed infrastructure, human resources, types of surgical interventions and equipment in each facility. RESULTS: Overall, hospitals were well equipped with general patient care and surgical supplies. The majority of hospitals had a basic laboratory (100%), running water (94%) and electricity (82%). More than 75% had the basic supplies needed for general patient care and basic intra-operative care, including sterilization. Almost all hospitals were able to perform major surgical procedures such as caesarean sections (88%), herniorrhaphy (100%) and appendectomy (94%), but formal training of providers was limited: a few hospitals had a fully qualified surgeon (29%) or obstetrician (36%) available. CONCLUSIONS: The greatest barrier to improving surgical care at district hospitals in Ghana is the shortage of adequately trained medical personnel for emergency and essential surgical procedures. Important future steps include strengthening their number and qualifications.

The political economy of emergency and essential surgery in global health.

Emergency and essential surgery (EES) remains a low priority on global health agendas even though a growing body of evidence demonstrates that EES is a cost-effective public health intervention and that it holds the potential to prevent a sizable number of deaths and disabilities. The inferior status of EES should be considered, in part, a political problem and subject to political analysis. This type of political economy examination has been used for other important global health issues but has not been applied to EES. By addressing political concerns and prospects, EES can be better positioned on international agendas, thus improving surgical care delivered to the poor.

Developing priorities for addressing surgical conditions globally: furthering the link between surgery and public health policy.

BACKGROUND: Efforts to promote wider access to surgical services globally would be aided by developing consensus among clinicians, the public health policy community, and other stakeholders as to which surgical conditions warrant the most focused attention and investment. This would add value to other, ongoing efforts, especially in helping to define unmet need and effective coverage. METHODS: In this concept paper, we introduce preliminary ideas on how priorities for surgical care could be better defined, especially as regards the interface between the surgical and public health worlds. Factors that would come into play in this process include the public health burden of the condition and the successfulness and feasibility of the procedures to treat those conditions. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The implications of the prioritization process are that those conditions with the highest public health burden and that have procedures that are highly successful and feasible to promote globally, including in the most resource-constrained environments, should be the main focus of national and international efforts.

Emergency and essential surgical services in Afghanistan: still a missing challenge.

BACKGROUND: In Afghanistan, the number of surgically amenable injuries related to civil unrest and ongoing conflict or consequent to road traffic accidents, trauma, or pregnancy-related complications is rising and becoming a major cause of death and disability. This study was designed to evaluate availability of basic lifesaving and disability-preventive emergency surgical and anesthesia interventions representing most of the country. METHODS: Evaluation was performed outside Kabul to represent a cross-section of the country. Data were collected from Afghanistan health facilities, using the WHO Tool for Situation Analysis to Assess Emergency and Essential Surgical Care, covering case volume, travel distances, infrastructures, human resources, supplies, equipment, and interventions characterizing basic trauma, surgery, and anesthesia capacities. RESULTS: In 30% of the 17 facilities examined, oxygen supply is limited and irregular; uninterrupted running water is not accessible in 40%; electrical power is not available continuously in 66%. Shortage of equipment and personnel is evident in peripheral health facilities: certified surgeons are present in 63.6% and certified anesthesiologists in 27.2%. Continuous 24 h surgical service is available in 29.4%. Lifesaving procedures are performed in 17-42% of peripheral hospitals; 23.5% are without emergency obstetric service. CONCLUSIONS: Limited access to surgery is highly remarkable in Afghanistan, with a severe shortage of emergency surgical capacities in provincial and district hospitals, where availability of basic and emergency surgical care is far from satisfactory. A comprehensive approach for strengthening basic surgical capacities at the primary health care level should be introduced.

Survey of emergency and surgical capacity in the conflict-affected regions of Sri Lanka.

BACKGROUND: Three decades of internal conflict in the North and East of Sri Lanka have taken a toll on the health care system in that area. METHODS: We proposed to quantify the current status of capacity to deliver emergency, anesthesia, and surgical interventions in the conflict affected areas of Sri Lanka. The World Health Organization (WHO) Tool for Situational Analysis to Assess Emergency and Essential Surgical Care (EESC) was used to evaluate 47 health facilities. RESULTS: Although most have trained health care providers capable of basic procedures, infrastructure and supplies were severely lacking. CONCLUSION: These data can be used as a basis for the recovery and rebuilding of EESC capacity in conflict-affected areas of Sri Lanka.

Strengthening the emergency healthcare system for mothers and children in The Gambia.

A system to improve the management of emergencies during pregnancy, childbirth, infancy and childhood in a region of The Gambia (Brikama) with a population of approximately 250,000 has been developed.This was accomplished through formal partnership between the Gambian Ministry of Health, the World Health Organisation, Maternal Childhealth Advocacy International and the Advanced Life Support Group.Since October 2006, the hospital in Brikama has been renovated and equipped and more efficiently provided with emergency medicines. An emergency ambulance service now links the community with the hospital through a mobile telephone system. Health professionals from community to hospital have been trained in obstetric, neonatal and paediatric emergency management using skills' based education. The programme was evaluated in log books detailing individual resuscitations and by external assessment.The hospital now has constant water and electricity, a functioning operating theatre and emergency room; the maternity unit and children's wards have better emergency equipment and there is a more reliable supply of oxygen and emergency drugs, including misoprostol (for treating post partum haemorrhage) and magnesium sulphate (for severe pre-eclampsia). There is also a blood transfusion service.Countrywide, 217 doctors, nurses, and midwives have undergone accredited training in the provision of emergency maternal, newborn and child care, including for major trauma. 33 have received additional education through Generic Instructor Courses and 15 have reached full instructor status. 83 Traditional Birth Attendants and 48 Village Health Workers have been trained in the recognition and initial management of emergencies, including resuscitation of the newborn. Eleven and ten nurses underwent training in peri-operative nursing and anaesthetics respectively, to address the acute shortage required for emergency Caesarean section.Between May 2007 and March 2010, 109 patients, mostly pregnant mothers, were stabilised and transported to hospital by the new emergency ambulance service.293 resuscitation attempts were documented in personal logbooks.A sustainable system for better managing emergencies has been established and is helping to negate the main obstacle impeding progress: the country's lack of available trained medical and nursing staff. However, insufficient attention was paid to improving staff morale and accommodation representing significant failings of the programme.

The global burden of musculoskeletal injuries: challenges and solutions.

Musculoskeletal injuries are a major public health problem globally, contributing a large burden of disability and suffering. This burden could be considerably lowered by implementation of affordable and sustainable strategies to strengthen orthopaedic trauma care, especially in low- and middle-income countries. This article summarizes the global burden of musculoskeletal injuries and provides several examples of successful programs that have improved care of injuries in health facilities in low- and middle-income countries. Finally, it discusses WHO efforts to build on the country experiences and to make progress in lowering the burden of musculoskeletal injuries globally.