UN Global Surgery Learning Hub

SURGhub

Online courses for the whole surgical team, from expert providers.

Explore the courses

Photo: Gulu University Surgical Equity Society

Why SURGhub exists

Lack of access to surgical and anaesthesia care results in over 17 million preventable deaths each year. SURGhub equips surgical care workers with lifesaving skills.

SURGhub, the UN Global Surgery Learning Hub, brings together courses from universities, professional societies and non-governmental organisations, so that every member of the surgical team can keep learning wherever they work.

QS Reimagine Education Awards 2025, Gold winnerTHE Awards 2024 winner, Technological or Digital Innovation of the Year

Figures as of 19 October 2026.

67,000+

Learners

More than 67,000 health workers have registered on SURGhub, and together they have made more than 110,000 course enrolments.

In post-course surveys, 9 in 10 learners rate their overall satisfaction 4 or 5 out of 5, and 9 in 10 say they are likely to use what they learned in their work. Learners have recorded more than 36 years of study time.

Figures as of 19 October 2026.

219

Countries and territories

SURGhub learners come from 219 countries and territories.

The largest numbers of course enrolments come from India, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Pakistan, Kenya, Egypt, Nigeria and Ethiopia.

Figures as of 19 October 2026.

36,000+

United Nations certificates of completion

Learners have earned more than 36,000 United Nations certificates of completion, each signed by UNITAR and the content provider.

About 1 in 3 course enrolments ends in a certificate. That is two to three times the completion rate typically reported for open online courses, which is around 10 to 15%.

Certificates confirm that a learner completed a course. They do not attest to clinical competence.

Figures as of 19 October 2026.

140+

Free surgical care courses

SURGhub hosts more than 140 free courses in surgery, anaesthesia, obstetrics and gynaecology, perioperative care and non-technical skills. Most courses are in English, and some are also available in Spanish, French and Arabic.

The courses with the most learners include Surgical Foundations, Essential Burn Care and Essential Emergency and Critical Care. Across all courses, learners give an average rating of 4.6 out of 5.

Figures as of 19 October 2026.

34

Content providers

34 organisations share their expertise through SURGhub. They include the ICRC, COSECSA, the University of Oxford, CANECSA, Harvard, the WFSA and Interburns.

Any organisation with surgical, anaesthesia or perioperative expertise can publish courses on SURGhub.

Figures as of 19 October 2026.

9 in 10

Learners likely to use what they learned in their work

In post-course surveys, 9 in 10 learners say they are likely to use what they learned in their work, and 9 in 10 rate their overall satisfaction 4 or 5 out of 5.

Across all courses, learners give an average rating of 4.6 out of 5.

Figures as of 19 October 2026.

Learners in 219 countries and territories

Behind every point on the map is a health worker putting new skills to work. Scroll through the stories to travel from Bangladesh to Sierra Leone.

Dr Sourov Das, Bangladesh
🇧🇩Bangladesh · Comilla

Dr Sourov Das

Surgical trainee

A general surgery trainee at Comilla Medical College Hospital, Dr Das used SURGhub’s burn care courses to supplement his training. He then drew on them to treat a young girl with severe thermal injuries.

Read the full story →
William Baraka, DR Congo
🇨🇩DR Congo · Bukavu

William Baraka

Anaesthesia and critical care

After losing his sister to a preventable anaesthesia complication, William turned that loss into a mission. In conflict-affected eastern DRC, he uses SURGhub’s perioperative resources to strengthen patient safety and train colleagues across Francophone Africa.

Read the full story →
Dr Sanderene Abdelnor, Egypt
🇪🇬Egypt · Giza

Dr Sanderene Abdelnor

Reconstructive surgery

A plastic and reconstructive surgeon at a busy hospital in Giza, Dr Abdelnor used SURGhub’s guidance to introduce structured distraction techniques while treating a child with burn trauma. It changed how she supports patients through recovery.

Read the full story →
Dr Shubhangi Patil, India
🇮🇳India · Belagavi

Dr Shubhangi Patil

Surgeon and mentor

An experienced surgeon who calls her craft “a work of art”, Dr Patil uses SURGhub to keep her skills current, meet internationally recognised standards and mentor the next generation of surgeons in smaller towns.

Read the full story →
Dennis Nyang’au, Kenya
🇰🇪Kenya · Nakuru

Dennis Nyang’au

Emergency and critical care

A Kenya Red Cross emergency responder, Dennis completed SURGhub’s Essential Emergency and Critical Care course. He later used it to stabilise a hit-and-run victim in the field.

Read the full story →
Dr Sheku Massaquoi, Sierra Leone
🇸🇱Sierra Leone · Freetown

Dr Sheku Massaquoi

General surgeon

A general surgeon at 34 Military Hospital in Freetown, Dr Massaquoi sets aside 90 minutes each morning to learn on SURGhub. His training shaped a palliative mastectomy he performed under regional anaesthesia for a patient who could not have a general anaesthetic.

Read the full story →

What learners are saying

Feedback from health workers who have taken SURGhub courses.

“This amazing training enhanced my skills in managing critically ill patients and saving many lives.”

Learner, RwandaEssential Emergency & Critical Care · Stanford LRC

“Burns is a common trauma in my country, yet poorly taught in medical schools. This course filled a critical gap.”

Clinical officer, South AfricaBurns: Wound Care and Pain Management · ReSurge International

“An excellent, well-presented course with incredibly useful content and new ideas — from someone who’s completed 16 ICRC field missions in surgery hospitals over decades.”

Anaesthesiologist, United KingdomAnaesthesia in War · ICRC

“I’m grateful to access this free course. The knowledge I’m gaining will help me change my anaesthesia practice and share it with others.”

Anaesthesiologist, TanzaniaAcute and Chronic Pain · ReSurge International

“This lifesaving course, made available for free, will help greatly in my work as a biomedical technician.”

Biomedical technician, HaitiIntroduction to C-Arm Imaging and Radiation Safety in the Operating Room · AO Alliance

“I am so happy — this free course is very important for my daily surgical practice.”

Surgeon, EthiopiaA Crash Course in Facial Fractures · ReSurge International

“This felt like a foundational diploma in global surgery… It gave me clarity, confidence and belonging in the global surgery conversation.”

Learner, IraqNavigating the Global Surgery Ecosystem · GSF

Built for the surgical community

One platform for the people who deliver surgical care and the organisations that train them.

surghub.org/courses

All courses on SURGhub

Surgery · Anaesthesia · Obstetrics and gynaecology · Perioperative care · Non-technical skills

SurgerySurgical Foundations
BurnsEssential Burn Care
Emergency careEssential Emergency and Critical Care
AnaesthesiaSpinal Anaesthesia: Theory and Practice
ObstetricsHeat-Stable Carbetocin for Preventing PPH at Caesarean Section
TraumaTrauma and Disaster Team Response
Browse the catalogue →

For surgical care workers

Courses for every member of the surgical team.

  • 140+ free courses in surgery, anaesthesia, obstetrics and gynaecology, perioperative care and non-technical skills
  • Courses in English, with some also in Spanish, French and Arabic
  • A United Nations certificate of completion for each course you finish, confirming your participation
  • Learn on the web or with the SURGhub app on iOS and Android
  • One free account to access everything in seconds
Explore the courses

For training providers

Reach surgical teams where training is hardest to access.

  • Full ownership of your content
  • An established audience of more than 67,000 learners
  • Marketing and promotion of your courses
  • Quality assurance by three expert committees
  • United Nations certificates of completion for your learners
  • Course analytics and learner feedback
  • Instructional design support
  • And more
Publish a course

How learning on SURGhub works

From your first course to a UN certificate of completion, in five steps.

  1. 1

    Create an account

    Create a free SURGhub account once, then take as many courses as you need.

  2. 2

    Find a course

    Find a course by specialty, provider, or language. Each course page sets out who it is for, its level, and how long it takes.

    Explore the courses →
  3. 3

    Learn at your own pace

    Learn in a web browser or in the SURGhub app for Android and iOS.

  4. 4

    Receive your certificate

    Complete all activities in a course to receive a UN certificate of completion. It confirms that you took part in the course; it is not a qualification or a licence to practise.

  5. 5SURGhub mark

    Verify a certificate

    Anyone can check a SURGhub certificate on the certificate verification page.

    Verify a certificate →

Quality assurance

All courses on SURGhub go through a rigorous quality review process by three committees.

SURGhub review badge

100 volunteers review SURGhub courses: surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses, educators and other specialists, on three committees and two review panels.

Project Scope Committee

The Project Scope Committee is responsible for defining the educational scope of SURGhub: high-level educational aims, target learners and learning objectives.

The committee considers how SURGhub and its content interact with academic qualifications, and advises on the conceptual framework underpinning the platform layout.

It also refines the project scope and reports on progress towards meeting the educational aims.

Members

  • Jean O’SullivanChairEmergency medicine consultant
  • Sara MohanGynaecologist
  • Emilie JoosTrauma surgeon
  • Dhananjaya SharmaGeneral surgeon
  • Ana Maria CrawfordAnaesthesiology and critical care medicine
  • Ainhoa Costas ChavarriGeneral surgeon
  • Pauline WakeAnaesthetist
  • Karina OlivoSenior perioperative nurse
  • Sebastian HofbauerSURGhub Lead, GSF

Content Committee

The Content Committee is responsible for ensuring that high-quality and appropriate global surgery education and training content is selected for inclusion on SURGhub.

Its main task is to set inclusion and exclusion criteria against which existing global surgery e-learning content is reviewed for potential inclusion.

The committee reviews content against these criteria and proposes its inclusion or exclusion. It refines the criteria, documents its decisions, and reports on progress in reviewing proposed content.

Members

  • Andrea ParkerChairGeneral surgeon
  • Jackie RowlesNurse anaesthetist
  • Lubna KahnGeneral surgeon
  • Musliu Adetola TolaniUrological surgeon
  • Sabina SiddiquiPaediatric surgeon
  • Adolfo Leyva-AlvizoGeneral surgeon
  • Claude Martin Jr.Orthopaedic surgeon
  • Rahel NardosGynaecologist
  • Luiz Fernando dos Reis FalcãoAnaesthetist
  • Jan WynandsPlastic surgeon
  • Sebastian HofbauerSURGhub Lead, GSF

Technical Committee

The Technical Committee is responsible for ensuring that content on SURGhub is of an appropriate technical standard and meets legal standards such as copyright.

Its main task is to set criteria against which existing global surgery e-learning content is assessed, to make sure basic technical and legal standards are met, and to assess content against those standards.

The committee refines the criteria as needed and reports on how far assessed content meets the standards set.

Members

  • Advait GandheChairE-learning expert
  • Somprakas BasuGeneral surgeon
  • Emilio VelisEducationalist
  • Anna Darelli-AndersonEducationalist
  • Thomas ConnollyInstructional designer
  • Usha GunessTech and intellectual property lawyer
  • Rebecca SilversPaediatric neurosurgery and critical care nurse practitioner
  • Sergio NavarroSurgical trainee and resident physician
  • Mattia FantinatiManagement engineer
  • Sebastian HofbauerSURGhub Lead, GSF

Our reviewers

100 volunteers on three committees and two review panels.

    No reviewers match your search.

    We thank all our reviewers for their time and expertise.

    The SURGhub partners

    Project partners

    SURGhub is a joint initiative by the GSF and UNITAR, supported by RCSI, and in association with the J&J Foundation.

    A joint initiative by
    Supported by
    In association with

    Content providers

    Courses come from universities, professional societies and non-governmental organisations. Select a logo to see their courses.

    Publish your courses on SURGhub

    Your courses stay yours: you keep full ownership of your content.

    • Reach more than 67,000 learners in 219 countries and territories
    • Quality assurance by three expert committees
    • United Nations certificates of completion for your learners
    • Course analytics, learner feedback and instructional design support
    Publish a course

    The SURGhub team

    Working to make quality surgical training available to all.

    • Sebastian HofbauerSebastian HofbauerSURGhub Lead, GSF
    • Marta ErrozMarta ErrozOperations Manager, GSF
    • Cindy MoigeCindy MoigeSURGhub Project Associate, GSF
    • Florian SchneiderFlorian SchneiderCommunications Consultant, GSF
    • Eric O’FlynnEric O’FlynnRCSI Institute of Global Surgery
    • Ines PerićInes PerićRCSI Institute of Global Surgery
    • Dr Eric SsennuniDr Eric SsennuniSURGhub volunteer, Daaru Salaam University
    • Dr Harshin PallathoorDr Harshin PallathoorSURGhub volunteer, University of Birmingham
    • Dr Arushi BiswasDr Arushi BiswasSURGhub volunteer, Johns Hopkins University
    • Dr Sintayehu MisginaDr Sintayehu MisginaSURGhub volunteer, Aspen Medical
    • Neharaj PitlaNeharaj PitlaSURGhub volunteer, St George’s University

    Frequently asked questions

    What is SURGhub?

    SURGhub, the UN Global Surgery Learning Hub, is an online learning platform for surgical care teams. It offers 140+ courses to more than 67,000 learners in 219 countries and territories. SURGhub is a joint initiative by the GSF and UNITAR, supported by RCSI, and in association with the J&J Foundation.

    Who operates SURGhub?

    SURGhub is operated by the Global Surgery Foundation (GSF).

    Who are the SURGhub partners?

    SURGhub is a joint initiative by the GSF and UNITAR, supported by RCSI, and in association with the J&J Foundation. We also work with more than 30 content providers, who provide the courses on the platform.

    Who can use SURGhub?

    Anyone working in or alongside surgical care, including surgeons, anaesthetists, obstetricians, nurses, perioperative staff, non-clinical staff and community health workers, especially in resource-limited settings.

    Does SURGhub cost anything?

    Creating a SURGhub account is free, and more than 140 courses are free to take.

    In which languages are courses available?

    Most courses are in English. Some courses are also available in Spanish, French and Arabic.

    Who ensures the quality of SURGhub courses?

    All courses go through a quality review by three committees: the Project Scope Committee, which defines the educational aims and target learners; the Content Committee, which selects high-quality and appropriate content; and the Technical Committee, which checks technical and legal standards such as copyright.

    Do learners receive a certificate?

    Learners who complete a course receive a downloadable United Nations certificate of completion, signed by UNITAR and the content provider. The certificate confirms that the learner took part in the course. It is not a qualification or a licence to practise.

    Is there a mobile app?

    Yes. The SURGhub app is available on iOS and Android.

    How can my organisation publish a course on SURGhub?

    Contact us at info@surghub.org. Content providers keep full ownership of their content, and benefit from an established learner base, course analytics and instructional design support.

    Join the SURGhub community

    Learn with SURGhub, share your training, or help more surgical teams get access to it.

    For health workers

    Create a free account and choose from more than 140 free courses for the whole surgical team.

    Explore the courses

    For training providers

    Publish your courses and reach surgical teams in 219 countries and territories.

    Publish a course

    For funders and partners

    Help SURGhub reach more surgical care workers where training is hardest to access.

    Support SURGhub