5bn people don’t have access to safe surgery: Report

LONDON: A commission launched in London on Monday has found that most of the world's population — almost 5 billion people — don't have access to surgery while 81 million people are becoming impoverished seeking and receiving surgical care. The report found that India is among the countries with the highest proportion of its population without access to safe, affordable surgery and anaesthesia.

Millions of people worldwide are dying from common, easily treatable conditions such as appendicitis, fractures or obstructed labour because they do not have access to or can't afford proper surgical care, according to the Commission written by a group of 25 leading experts from across the fields of surgery and anaesthesia which was published in 'The Lancet'.

It said that of an estimated 312.9 million surgical procedures undertaken worldwide in 2012, only 6.3% were done in countries comprising the poorest 37.3% of the population. An estimated 951 million women are without access to emergency obstetric care should they become pregnant.

Of the 313 million operations done worldwide each year, just one in 20 occurs in the poorest countries. The new estimates found that there is a global shortfall of at least 143 million surgical procedures every year.

http://ift.tt/1ELl4Br Lancet,surgical care,surgery

Stay updated on the go with Times of India News App. Click here to download it for your device.