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The pediatric surgery workforce in low- and middle-income countries: problems and priorities

Sanjay Krishnaswami1, Benedict C Nwomeh2, Emmanuel A Ameh3

  • 1Division of Pediatric Surgery, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd, Suite 300, Portland, Oregon 97239.

Seminars in Pediatric Surgery
|February 3, 2016
PubMed

Insights

The global pediatric surgical workforce faces a critical shortage, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Addressing this requires understanding workforce gaps and prioritizing capacity building for essential child surgical care.

Area of Science:

  • Global Health
  • Surgical Workforce Development
  • Pediatric Surgery

Background:

  • A significant global surgical workforce crisis exists, disproportionately affecting resource-poor regions.
  • Human resource shortages are a primary driver of inadequate surgical care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
  • The availability of multidisciplinary teams is crucial for effective surgical service delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the current state of the pediatric surgical workforce in LMICs.
  • To identify the reasons behind current shortfalls in pediatric surgical personnel.
  • To discuss progress in capacity building and future priorities for pediatric surgical care.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on pediatric surgical workforce in LMICs, with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
  • Inclusion of global LMIC data where available.
  • Primary focus on the role and challenges of pediatric surgeons.

Main Results:

  • Significant shortfalls exist in the pediatric surgical workforce in LMICs.
  • Multiple factors contribute to these workforce deficits.
  • Progress in capacity building has been observed, but challenges remain.

Conclusions:

  • The pediatric surgical workforce crisis in LMICs is a critical global health issue.
  • Strategic capacity building and addressing workforce shortages are essential for improving pediatric surgical care.
  • Further focus on supporting pediatric surgeons and their teams is needed.

Keywords:
Financing pediatric surgeryGlobal child healthGlobal pediatric surgery

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