Mapping Population-Level Spatial Access to Essential Surgical Care in Ghana Using Availability of Bellwether Procedures.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Conditions that can be treated by surgery comprise more than 16% of the global disease burden. However, 5 billion people do not have access to essential surgical care. An estimated 90% of the 87 million disability-adjusted life-years incurred by surgical conditions could be averted by providing access to timely and safe surgery in low-income and middle-income countries. Population-level spatial access to essential surgery in Ghana is not known.

Objectives

To assess the performance of bellwether procedures (ie, open fracture repair, emergency laparotomy, and cesarean section) as a proxy for performing essential surgery more broadly, to map population-level spatial access to essential surgery, and to identify first-level referral hospitals that would most improve ac

SUBMITTER: Stewart BT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5577012 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature