Not to know is bad.– Nigerian saying –
Not to want to know is worse.
Not to hope is unthinkable.
Not to care is unforgivable.
Obviously, Africa – which is only the most dramatic example – suffers from both the greatest need and the least access. Today, in Africa, 56,000,000 people are in need of surgery. Worldwide, approximately 2 billion people still have no access to basic surgical care. And according to the World Health Organization, fully 11% of the global disease burden can be treated with surgery. More die from surgical need than AIDS and malaria and other ailments combined.
Among the many examples of acute and chronic health burdens that can be cured by surgery are traumatic joint dislocations, open fractures to prevent osteomyelitis, hernia repairs, thyroidectomies, hysterectomies, and draining of abscesses. Surgery is also an essential component of maternal and child healthcare. Congenital anomalies and maternal mortality alone add up to over 600,000 deaths per year.