Developing priorities for addressing surgical conditions globally: furthering the link between surgery and public health policy.
BACKGROUND
Efforts to promote wider access to surgical services globally would be aided by developing consensus among clinicians, the public health policy community, and other stakeholders as to which surgical conditions warrant the most focused attention and investment. This would add value to other, ongoing efforts, especially in helping to define unmet need and effective coverage.


METHODS
In this concept paper, we introduce preliminary ideas on how priorities for surgical care could be better defined, especially as regards the interface between the surgical and public health worlds. Factors that would come into play in this process include the public health burden of the condition and the successfulness and feasibility of the procedures to treat those conditions.


CONCLUSIONS
The implications of the prioritization process are that those conditions with the highest public health burden and that have procedures that are highly successful and feasible to promote globally, including in the most resource-constrained environments, should be the main focus of national and international efforts.
Mock
Charles
C
Department of Violence and Injury Prevention and Disability, World Health Organization, 20 Avenue Appia, 1211, Geneva 27, Switzerland. mockc@who.int
Cherian
Meena
M
Juillard
Catherine
C
Donkor
Peter
P
Bickler
Stephen
S
Jamison
Dean
D
McQueen
Kelly
K
D003210:Concept Formation; D014943:Global Health; D006284:Health Plan Implementation; D006291:Health Policy; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D009626:Terminology as Topic