No one should die for a lack of access to surgical care

On 16 October, anaesthesia teams around the world mark World Anaesthesia Day, 180 years after the first public demonstration of ether anaesthesia. This year’s campaign looks at the part anaesthesiologists play in a patient’s care before, during and long after an operation.

A renewed $1 million commitment to SURGfund, announced at WHA79, will train surgical healthcare workers and improve care for patients at 31 facilities. As an anchor contribution it also strengthens the case for further investment into the collaborative funding mechanism.

In the latest instalment of Voices of Global Surgery, Ibrahim Isah Muhammad, perioperative nurse and operating theatre in-charge at Wudil General Hospital in Kano State, Nigeria, reflects on the realisation that saving lives in surgery often begins long before the first incision.

On 5 October, maternal health organisations mark World Postpartum Haemorrhage Day. One year after new global guidelines were issued, the day is a reminder that most deaths from bleeding after birth can be prevented.

Dr. Mélanie Samson takes on the role of Programme Lead, Women’s Health, and Dr. Jean Chamberlain becomes Clinical Lead, Maternal Health, as the Global Surgery Foundation’s safe caesarean section projects expand.

On 24 September 2026, BCIU, BD and the Global Surgery Foundation brought together stakeholders in New York, on the margins of UNGA81, to discuss how health systems can recognise and respond to maternal complications earlier.