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OKUMU: Health reform without surgeons? That’s a dangerous mistake

Nearly five billion people around the world lack access to safe, timely and affordable surgical care

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by NICHOLAS OKUMU

Star-blogs06 May 2025 - 09:33
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In Summary


  • Nearly five billion people around the world lack access to safe, timely and affordable surgical care and surgical conditions account for about 30 per cent of the global disease burden.

In Kenya today, a cancer diagnosis is often the beginning of a financial free fall. A broken leg from a road traffic accident can trap a family in debt for years. A C-section can mean choosing between saving a mother and educating her children. These stories are not rare—they’re routine. And they all have one thing in common: surgery.

Nearly five billion people around the world lack access to safe, timely and affordable surgical care and surgical conditions account for about 30 per cent of the global disease burden.

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