Investing in surgery: a value proposition for African leaders.

Globally, poor access to high-quality surgical, obstetric, and anaesthesia care remains a main contributor to global disease burden accounting for about a third of deaths worldwide.[1] The need for strengthening surgical care systems is especially urgent in sub-Saharan Africa, where access is strikingly limited, leading to the highest mortality and morbidity from surgically preventable and treatable conditions in the world.[[2]] Approximately 93% of the population of sub-Saharan Africa lacks access to safe, affordable, and timely surgical care, compared with less than 10% in high-income countries.[2] Despite the immense and growing need for surgical services in sub-Saharan Africa, investments by African public sector leaders to improve surgical systems on the subcontinent have been inadequate. 3rd edn vol 1, 2015, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/World Bank Washington, DC 4 D Nepogodiev, A Bhangu, Elective surgery cancellations due to COVID-19 pandemic: global predictive modelling to inform surgical recovery plans. [Extracted from the article]