Abstract
Persistent global disparities in maternal and neonatal outcomes exist, in part, due to a lack of access to safe surgery. This commentary examines the relative need for increased focus on access to safe maternal and pediatric surgery globally, starting with a focus on cost-effective surgeries. There is a need to understand context-specific surgeries for regions, including understanding regional versus tertiary development. Most important is a need to understand the crucial role of supply chain management (SCM) in developing better access to maternal and pediatric surgery in limited resource settings. We evaluate the role of SCM in global surgery and global health, and the current landscape of inefficiency. We outline specific findings and takeaways from recent solutions developed in pediatric and maternal surgery to address SCM inefficiencies. We then examine the applicability to other settings and look at the future. Our goal is to summarize the challenges that exist today in a global setting to provide better access to maternal and pediatric surgery and outline solutions relying on structural, SCM-related framework.
Highlights
The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery has outlined the need for safe, timely, and affordable surgical care around the world
The commission’s Global Surgery 2030 reported that of the 7.7 billion people worldwide, 5 billion lack access to safe, essential, life-saving surgical and anesthesia care, many in low and middle-income countries.[1]. Within these numbers lies another staggering trend outlining a need for access to surgical resources for women and children.TheWorld Health Organization (WHO) has reported that 1.7 billion of the 2.54 billion children and teenagers around the world lack access to safe, timely, and affordable surgical care.[2,3]
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has created a comprehensive supply chain management (SCM) program to increase global health care delivery, including region-specific interventions and education of the future SCM workforce.[15]. These interventions are of particular importance in global surgery where procurement processes differ from hospital to hospital
Summary
The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery has outlined the need for safe, timely, and affordable surgical care around the world. Navarro et al International Journal of Maternal and Child Health and AIDS (2020),Vol 9, No 1, 77-80 the most cost-effective surgeries in maternal and pediatric surgery globally and identify key supply chain issues preventing delivery of those procedures. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has created a comprehensive SCM program to increase global health care delivery, including region-specific interventions and education of the future SCM workforce.[15] These interventions are of particular importance in global surgery where procurement processes differ from hospital to hospital. An understanding of “cost-effectiveness” by a remotely placed SCM official may be weighted largely on absolute costs and maintenance contracts, whilst the surgical team may have important insights into durability, efficacy, and fit-for-purpose metrics
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