WFSA joins 78th World Health Assembly constituency statement calling on Member States to engage and support anaesthesia and surgical services in their health emergency planning and implementation.
WHA78 agenda item 16.1: Strengthening the global architecture for health emergency prevention, preparedness, response and resilience
This statement will focus on practical aspects of Safe and Scalable Care in health emergencies (HEs), especially in remote and rural environments. It is about who delivers care, and where, in the first 24-48 hours.
We recall WHA resolutions 68.15, 72.16, 74.7 and 76.2, and recognise the importance of integrating surgery and anaesthesia into primary health care towards achieving Universal Health Coverage.
Most global health emergencies are due to natural and manmade disasters where early local multidisciplinary trauma care is critical. Maternal, newborn and adolescent health needs are often overlooked during these disastrous events, as are infective or inflammatory skin conditions. Patients who present as emergencies due to burns, stroke, cardiovascular complications, diabetes mellitus, cancer and many other NCDs often need combined medical, surgical, specialist nursing and critical care.
Hospitals that can provide essential surgical and anaesthesia care have the manpower at medical, nursing, midwifery, hospital engineering and maintenance, laboratories, imaging, and auxiliary staff levels and the infrastructure (in power, oxygen, transport systems, laboratories, blood transfusion and WASH services) to manage critically ill patients, triage mass casualties, provide primary trauma care and manage surges during pandemics. Such readiness requires educational, professional and political support of equal quality for all those who work in such facilities.
We therefore request the WHO to recognise, engage with and support the first contact workforce in all HEPR policies.sia care is a cost-effective and strategic approach to improving preparedness for all types of health emergencies.
The statement is supported by:
- The International Federation of Surgical Colleges and Societies (IFSCS Ltd)
- World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WFSA)
- International Confederation of Midwives (ICM).
- World Federation of Nuclear Medicine and Biology (WFNMB)
- International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS)
- Women in Global Health Inc. (WGH)
- World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS)
- International College of Surgeons (ICS)
- Humatem
- Women Deliver (WD)
