Surgery + Global Poverty

One of the most critical needs facing the developing world is a lack of access to safe surgery. It's been incredible to see how an organization like Mercy Ships is seeking to make a dent in this sizable need. In fact, the New York Times just featured an article on this issue & highlighted some of the work being done by Mercy Ships. This excerpt below was really interesting (thought I'd share):

"Every year over 80 million people worldwide face financial catastrophe if they get surgery. And while the individual cost of getting surgery is great, the societal cost of inaction is staggering. If nothing is done to increase surgical access, developing nations are projected to lose $12.3 trillion from their gross domestic products between now and 2030.
Currently, infectious disease interventions are the main focus of global health policies, because many countries lack the personnel and infrastructure to carry out surgical interventions successfully.
Despite the fact that nearly one-third of human disease is amenable to surgery, it remains overlooked in much of the world."

To link to the full article, click here