— In-person & Online —

The topic of surgical healthcare has historically been neglected within the global health conversation, often overlooked in favor of various other health initiatives. However, with the global movement towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030, the significance of accessible, safe, and affordable surgical care is becoming increasingly acknowledged. Despite advancements in health systems around the globe, the priority given to surgical healthcare has been insufficient, resulting in disparities in access and financial challenges, along with unnecessary mortalities (Biccard et al., 2020; Shrime et al., 2021).

In response to these challenges, the Seventy-seventh World Health Assembly (WHA77) has decided to seek the Director-General’s assistance in crafting a global strategy and action plan for integrated emergency, critical, and operative (ECO) care services for 2026-2035. This initiative supports Resolution WHA 76.2, enhancing the role of ECO services as an essential aspect of UHC and boosting global efforts to guarantee access to surgical care during both routine and emergency circumstances. The strategy is designed to ignite coordinated efforts that would allow universal access to necessary surgical services for everyone, further embedding surgical healthcare into international health policy frameworks.

This gathering aims to foster dialogue concerning the importance of ECO services in Global Surgery and their integration into UHC. Key topics for discussion will include:

• The role of Surgical Healthcare in UHC 2030
• Addressing Surgical Access Disparities across Varied Income Levels
• Investments and Policy Changes for Sustainable Surgical Healthcare
• Global Partnerships in Strengthening Surgical Systems

The International Student Surgical Network — InciSioN welcomes participation from all who advocate for equitable surgical care and wish to affirm the importance of surgical, obstetric, trauma, and anesthesia (SOTA) services as vital components of comprehensive health for all.

📅 Date: Monday, May 19th, 2025
🕘 Time: 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM CEST (with additional networking opportunities)
📍 Location: Civil Society Networking Space, 9-11 Rue de Varembé, Geneva, Switzerland

For queries, attendees can reach out via admin@incisionetwork.org.

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