[Access to surgery]

More than 5 billion humans cannot access essential surgery if needed. Surgery was for a long time not a part of the global health agenda, generally considered a luxury. However, the realization that a large proportion of the global burden of disease can be reduced by surgery has gained momentum. The publication of the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery and the Disease Control Priorities volume on surgery, along with the WHO resolution on access to essential and emergency surgical care, has been pivotal in this paradigm shift. Access to surgery is in many settings hampered by a mix of lack of leadership, skilled workforce, equipment, and financial risk protection for patients, to name a few. Importantly, the provision of surgery requires comprehensive health systems which, once established, allow for numerous other health interventions. This cannot be achieved without partnerships, responsible leadership and good governance that prioritizes health care in general and surgery in particular.