Pre-GA or how I discovered myself some interest in Global Surgery

Pre-GA : GLOBAL SURGERY

Yesterday was the last day of the Pre-General Assembly ,where I was taking part of the Global Surgery Training.

I am passionated about Global Health but I never had a strong interest for surgery so that I didn’t know much about this specific topic. I then went there with the goal to learn more about it and to better understand the gap between the high incomes countries and middle/low incomes ones specificaly in regard of surgery and how we can work hand in hand to bridge this gap. It was also for me a space to share ideas and knowledges in order to create collaborations between the different countries taking part to this pre-GA in order to create projects to bring back home.

Throughout those 3 days, I have then been introduced to a couple of different topics and issues related to Global Surgery that I was aware of but I never push the reflexion on them further or through the Surgery lense suches as the brain drain, the task shifting, the ethical procurement, the use of new technologies in the training of new surgeons and the exchange of knowledges. I now realize how much Global surgery has been neglected in the past decades and all the opportunities we have to make it more affordable and accessible throughout the world.For instance, 28% to 32% of the global burden of diseases are from condition that requires surgery ans 5 billions people don’t have access to safe surgical treatments or anaesthetics. For those interested in Global Surgery, I also strongly recommend you to read the last report of the Lancet Commission that gives the last recent data on surgery across the world and from which are the statistics I just mentioned.

Throughout the conversations, exchanges, we also came out with really great ideas for national campaigns and projects for the next (and upcoming) years. I have to admit that I am pretty excited to present them to you at the next fall congress and national training camp ☺

Finally I would like to thank everyone who took part to this pre-GA for their active participation and what they brought into discussion (different perspectives, different cultural backgrounds, different realities). Thank you also to Tommaso and Zavira for organizing this training and for their passion and comitment to Global Surgery.

Here are some pictures of our hotel’s beach in Orhid and I send you a lot of sunshine and love

Mucho besotos,

Anne-Lou