Global Surgical Frontiers Conference 2017

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About the course

Global Surgical Frontiers Conference 2017

Book now to secure your place at the GSF 2017!  

The aim of the conference as every year is three fold:

  • Firstly to inform about global needs in surgery.
  • Secondly to provide information about how UK surgeons can be involved with surgical work, training and research in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs).
  • Thirdly to allow networking for surgeons, trainees and medical students interested in global surgery.

The first aim is fulfilled by interesting and experienced speakers.  The second is fulfilled in part by the speakers and networking, but also by inviting NGOs Charities, Specialist societies and Faith Based Missions who are involved in surgical work in LMICs to take tables where they can display information, and to take the podium for two brief minutes each to outline their work and why you should visit their stand.

The third and arguably the most important is fulfilled by ample breaks and networking drinks.   

Two years ago our GSF conference coincided with the launch of the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery, a major piece of academic work that outlined the state of surgery in the world, and threw down a challenge to all stakeholders in global health to work together to improve surgical services in LMICs. The key messages of the commission were:

1. Most people in the world do not have access to surgery.  5 billion out of 7 billion inhabitants do not have access to safe affordable surgery to save their lives when they need it. 

2. In order to have adequate access to surgery about 150 million extra operations will be needed per year

3. Over 80 million families per year have catastrophic expenses because of surgery and its associated costs

4. Adequate provision of surgery and treatment of common surgical conditions is cost effective and promotes economic growth

5. Surgery should not be isolated from other health conditions, and is an integral part of a public health system.

Last year our theme was asking the question what has happened one year on from the Lancet Commission? The answer was that a lot has changed. Several LMIC countries, for example Zambia are looking specifically at how they can develop surgical manpower and resources.  Surgery is also starting to be on the table in global health discussions.  The WHO has for the first time in its history passed a resolution about surgery and anaesthesia, stating that they are an essential component of
countries health systems. And the World Bank has added surgical indicators to its measures of a countries economic status. For those involved with surgical research it is good to see that the NIHR has also added surgery to its list of key research areas that it is prepared to fund.

This year our theme will be children and young people's surgery. We have chosen this because all surgical specialties deal with children' s surgical conditions, and most Low and Middle Income Countries have a demographic breakdown that means nearly half of the population is under 16. Please note that the conference is not about paediatric surgery as a speciality, but about children and young peoples surgical needs in all specialties.  So you are welcome and there will be something of interest
whatever your specialty. 

By popular demand following your feedback, this years conference has been expanded to a second day. We will have the usual Friday conference but have also added on an optional second day, run by the trainees organisations ASIT, GASOC and MEDSIN. Delegates will be welcome to one or both days, with a reduction for attending both and a further reduction for booking early.

We look forward to seeing you there.

For any further queries related to the conference please email: internationalteam@rcseng.ac.uk 

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