Human rights-based approach to global surgery: A scoping review

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Human Rights Law
• Surgical Policy

Background:

• Surgery is a neglected area in global health, with 5 billion people lacking access to safe, timely, and affordable care.
• This lack of access leads to 18 million preventable deaths annually and contributes to one-third of the global disease burden.
• Surgical care is evaluated for its role in protecting human rights, advocating for universal access.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the role of surgical care in protecting human rights.
• To make a human rights argument for universal access to safe surgical care.
• To propose a framework for human rights-based global surgical interventions.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review of PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and Scopus databases was conducted.
• Identified articles focused on human rights and global disparities in surgical care access.
• A conceptual framework for human rights-based global surgical interventions was proposed.

Main Results:

• Significant disparities in surgical care access persist globally, influenced by gender, socioeconomic status, race, religion, and culture.
• Lack of surgical access hinders full health and economic prosperity, violating fundamental human rights.
• A normative framework incorporating human rights principles can enhance inclusivity and effectiveness of surgical policy interventions.

Conclusions:

• Integrating human rights principles into surgical care provision is vital for achieving Sustainable Development Goals and universal health coverage.
• National Surgical, Obstetric, and Anesthesia Planning requires human rights integration for equitable and comprehensive healthcare access.
• Strengthening health systems through human rights-based policy interventions is essential for universal access to surgical and anesthesia care.