1 in 7 SURGhub Learners Comes From a Conflict-Affected Country

As of 29 October 2026, 10,019 registered SURGhub learners come from countries affected by conflict. That is 14.5% of all accounts, or about one in seven. On 3 June 2026 the same 24 countries counted 7,579 learners, so the number has grown by 2,440, or 32%, in five months.

Together they have enrolled in courses 14,991 times and earned 4,099 certificates. Nigeria (2,275) and Ethiopia (1,856) have the most learners, followed by Somalia, Sudan, Iraq, Ukraine, Yemen and Palestine. All 24 countries on the list have learners on SURGhub. The largest professional groups are anaesthesia providers, surgeons and nurses.

We used the World Bank’s list of countries affected by conflict for its 2027 financial year (the Public FCV List), in effect since 1 July 2026. It has 24 countries. A country is on the list when at least 20% of its population lives in areas with elevated conflict-related deaths, based on ACLED data from June 2025 to May 2026. Countries that the World Bank lists for institutional fragility alone are not included.

The count uses the country in each learner’s profile. It shows where learners come from, not whether they work in an area of active conflict. Country is recorded for almost every account but only for about 83% of learners who have started a course, so the course and certificate figures are minimums.

These learners most often start Surgical Foundations from COSECSA, Essential Emergency & Critical Care from the EECC Network, Trauma and Disaster Team Response from McGill, the Research Methodology Course from CANECSA and Essential Burn Care from Interburns.

“The content was very practical for conflict zones and helped me understand how to manage complex trauma with limited resources.”
Anaesthesia technician, Yemen, on Anaesthesia in War