GLOBAL SURGERY

Navigating the Global Surgery Ecosystem

Gain knowledge and understanding of the global surgery landscape to make meaningful,
impactful changes in your local surgical care setting.
Free  Popular
  • 4.7
  • (1500+ learners)
  • 15 hours
  • Shareable Certificate
  • Expert discussion

Course description 

This series is an initiative of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the Global Surgery Foundation (GSF), implemented in partnership with several co-hosting organisations. 

It aims to empower frontline providers with knowledge and understanding of the global surgery landscape so they can effectively navigate and leverage it to meet local needs and ultimately inform and re-focus global surgery priorities.

This course is provided by:

Global Surgery Foundation logo
Johns Hopkins Medicine logo
  • Specialty: Non-Technical Skills
  • Subspecialty: Global Surgery
  • Level: Beginner
  • Target audience: For frontline healthcare providers and global health professionals in low- and
    middle-income countries, healthcare students
  • Language: English
SURGhub

This course is provided by:

Global Surgery Foundation logo
Johns Hopkins Medicine logo

Learning objectives

  • Understand what Global Surgery is today and how we arrived here
  • Understand the opportunities for collaboration
  • Identify and navigate current challenges in global surgery
  • Analyse and implement financial and policy strategies
  • Understand the global surgery landscape
  • Utilise technology and training for surgical advancements

The series consists of six modules. 

Live session recordings
Earn a certificate
Discussion forum and Q&A
Each module includes four elements (see image below), creating an engaging learning experience.
Click on image to expand

Course structure 

Name of the Content Author(s)

Expert contributors from around the globe
  • Mr. Nikhil Seth

    UNITAR Executive Director
    UNITAR logo
  • Dr. Emmanuel Makasa

    Founding Director of the University of Witwatersrand Regional Collaboration Centre for Surgical Healthcare Improvement
    University of the Witwatersrand logo
  • Dr. Nobhojit Roy

    Lead of the Program in Global Surgery & Trauma at The George Institute of Global Health, India
    University of Global Health Equity logo
  • Dr. John Meara

    Director of the Harvard Medical School Program in Global Surgery and Social Change
    Harvard Medical School logo
  • Dr. Kathryn Chu

    Director and Professor of Global Surgery at Stellenbosch University
    Stellenbosch University logo
  • Dr. Rifat Atun

    Director of the Health System Innovation Lab and Professor of Global Health Systems at Harvard Medical School
    Harvard Medical School logo
  • Dr. Mark Shrime

    Lecturer in Global Health and Social Medicine at the Harvard Medical School and the Editor-in-Chief of BMJ Global Health
    BMJ Global Health logo
  • Dr. Dion Morton

    Barling Professor of Surgery, University of Birmingham, Head of Surgery, Department of Applied Health Sciences
    University of Birmingham logo
  • Dr. Lovenish Bains

    Faculty Member and Surgeon at Maulana Azad Medical College, Academic Consultant (Global Surgery) with the WHO Collaborating Center for Research in Surgical Care Delivery in LMICs
    Maulana Azad Medical College logo
  • Dr. Dhruva Nath Ghosh

    Professor in Pediatric Surgery at Christian Medical College, Co-Director of the NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery and their India Hub Director
    Christian Medical College Ludhiana logo
  • Dr. Barnabas Alayande

    General Surgeon and Assistant Professor of Surgery with the University of Global Health Equity
    University of Global Health Equity Centre for Equity in Global Surgery logo
  • Dr. Andrea Parker, MD, FACS, FCS(ECSA)

    Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery, Warren Alpert School of Medicine, Brown University; Director of Medical Education and Research, Consultant Surgeon, Tenwek Hospital, Bomet, Kenya
    Tenwek Hospital logo
  • Dr. Jan Wynands

    Plastic-Reconstructive Surgeon and leads the section Global Surgery at the University Hospital in Bonn, Germany
    University Hospital Bonn logo
  • Dr. Annie Hartley MD PhD MPH

    Professor and Director of LiGHT-BWH/Harvard (Laboratory for Intelligent Global Health and Humanitarian Response Technologies)
    LiGHT (Laboratory for Intelligent Global Health and Humanitarian Response Technologies) logo

Learn from global surgery experts

Join 67,000+ health workers from 219 countries and territories learning critical skills from global experts on SURGhub.

Course moderator

Dr. Lubna Samad

Dr. Lubna Samad is a paediatric surgeon based in Karachi, Pakistan, committed to improving patient outcomes with a specific focus on LMICs. 

As a Director at IRD Global and Chairperson Board of Directors IRD Pakistan, she has contributed to developing innovative strategies to overcome health delivery challenges in the Global South. Her experience in public sector hospitals in Pakistan has informed her understanding of the many individual, social and institutional barriers that result in poor access to, and provision of, quality surgical care. Her work spans research, implementation, and policy level initiatives in the global surgery space. 
Dr Lubna Samad

Dr. Lubna Samad

Paediatric Surgeon
Director at IRD Global and Co-Chair of the GSF High-Level Council

What learners are saying

"I thoroughly enjoyed the live discussion on Education and Clinical Training in Global Surgery. It was highly engaging, rich in new insights, and covered many points that deeply resonated with me."
Medical Student, Zambia
"What stood out most was how the course presented global surgery as a complete ecosystem rather than a narrow clinical concept. The structured progression through stakeholders, financing, research, education, and innovation helped me understand where surgical care fits within public health and health systems."
Medical Student, Iraq
"The module on education and training was very interesting."
Postgraduate Academic, Rwanda
"I found the research component the most interesting—especially how the course emphasized ethical, locally led global surgery research."
Medical Student, Mexico
"I found the course interface especially engaging, it was very interactive and easy to navigate. I also really enjoyed the live sessions: the classes were well delivered, and the invited speakers were extremely interesting and knowledgeable. Listening to their experiences and insights was genuinely enriching."
Medical Student, Brazil 
"I finally understood how healthcare financing works in high income countries and low and middle income countries."
General Medical Officer, South Sudan

Ready to start learning?

Access this comprehensive course free of charge and learn from global experts.
Register for free

This course is provided by

Global Surgery Foundation logo

The Global Surgery Foundation

The Global Surgery Foundation works with governments and frontline providers to build surgical care systems that will save lives and decrease disability. As a common platform for global surgery stakeholders, the GSF focuses on the low and middle-income countries which are furthest behind. 
Johns Hopkins Medicine logo

Johns Hopkins Medicine

Johns Hopkins Medicine is a nonprofit academic health system dedicated to improving health through excellence in patient care, education, and research. We envision a future where innovative, evidence-based medicine is accessible to individuals and communities worldwide.

Frequently asked questions

What is this educational series about?

This is not a series “about global surgery”. Instead, it was carefully designed to help you navigate global surgery, and global health more broadly, effectively. Our goal is to help you make meaningful, impactful changes in your local surgical care setting.

Guided by expert guest speakers, we will cover six critical topics:

1. Introduction to Global Surgery
2. Key Stakeholders in Global Surgery
3. Funding Mechanisms and Financial Strategies
4. Research Methodologies and Policy Development
5. Training and Education for Surgical Professionals
6. Innovation and Digital Technology in Global Surgery

Our moderator, Dr. Lubna Samad, will navigate through the live sessions and help us make sense of it all.

Who is this for?

This series is designed primarily for frontline healthcare providers and global health professionals in low- and middle-income countries, offering resources and strategies on how to navigate the global surgery ecosystem. It emphasises collaboration, partnerships, and a UN-based approach.

Additionally, it is also very valuable for students and trainees worldwide who are interested in global surgery and wish to gain a better understanding of how to get involved.

Will I receive a certificate?

We are very proud that we offer learners who complete all requirements official United Nations Certificates of Completion.

You’ve earned it.

How can I support SURGhub?

Today, more than 67,000 health workers access free training resources on SURGhub. 

If you can, consider supporting our work with a donation. Every dollar helps our mission to make the best surgical training more accessible in all corners of the world. Thank you.

Donate here

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