The 74th United Nations General Assembly meeting which took place in New York this month included for the first time a High-Level Meetings on Universal Health Coverage (UHC). New language that specifically names surgical systems as an essential part of a future package of essential health services available to all people marks an important shift of global political awareness about this issue, and marks a tremendous achievement for all advocates for the neglected surgical patient. The Center for Global Surgery is a proud member of the G4 Alliance, whose role in sensitizing UNGA representatives to the signficance of this declaration and prompting them for an inclusive text in the framework cannot be disputed
“Scale up efforts to address the growing burden of injuries and deaths, including those related to road traffic accidents and drowning, through preventive measures as well as strengthening trauma and emergency-care services, including essential surgery capacities as an essential part of integrated health-care delivery.
To learn more about the G4 Alliance’s advocacy efforts at the UNGA HLM, click this link.