Canadian Network for International Surgery: development activities and strategies

Area of Science:

• Global Surgery
• International Health
• Surgical Education

Background:

• Surgical disorders cause significant death and disability in low-income countries.
• There is a projected shortage of surgeons in Africa.
• Injury incidence in Africa is unacceptably high, necessitating prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the Canadian Network for International Surgery (CNIS) and its initiatives.
• To outline strategies for reducing surgical disorders and related mortality in low-income countries.
• To encourage support for international surgical development.

Main Methods:

• The Essential Surgical Skills (ESS) program trains non-surgeons to perform surgery.
• The injury control program focuses on prevention strategies.
• The library project provides resources to African surgical libraries.
• Members' projects foster creative approaches to achieving CNIS objectives.

Main Results:

• CNIS operates in 4 African countries.
• The organization's multi-faceted approach addresses surgical capacity and injury prevention.
• A project checklist is available to guide others.

Conclusions:

• The CNIS model offers a framework for surgical development in resource-limited settings.
• Canadian surgical specialists can contribute to reducing global surgical suffering.
• International collaboration is crucial for improving surgical outcomes.