System Problem
Millions of people in low-resource and marginalized communities worldwide lack access to safe, timely, and affordable surgical care. Healthcare systems in under-resourced settings—both internationally and within Canada—struggle to provide adequate surgical infrastructure, trained personnel, and equipment. This disparity means that treatable surgical conditions become life-threatening emergencies, and preventable complications become fatal. Marginalized populations bear the heaviest burden, facing not only limited physical access to surgical services but also institutional barriers, inadequate training opportunities for local surgeons, and fragmented health systems that cannot sustainably deliver surgical care. The result is preventable morbidity and mortality that perpetuates cycles of poverty and health inequality.
Theory of Change
When academic institutions partner with under-resourced communities to strengthen healthcare systems through ethical collaboration, research, clinical support, and workforce development, surgical care access and quality improve sustainably. By building local capacity—developing healthcare professionals, fostering evidence-based practice, and creating integrated health systems—communities can address complex healthcare challenges from within. International collaboration grounded in ethical principles and mutual respect creates pathways for knowledge exchange, resource-sharing, and long-term systemic improvement. This approach shifts from temporary interventions to enduring partnerships that empower local actors and build resilient surgical systems.
Challenge Statement
The Office of Global Surgery at the University of Alberta addresses a fundamental challenge in global surgery: how to build equitable surgical systems that serve marginalized populations without perpetuating dependency or extractive research practices. This requires balancing clinical care delivery with education, research that reflects community priorities, and partnerships that respect local leadership. The office must conduct its work with the highest ethical standards, ensuring that global surgery initiatives are accountable to the communities they serve and genuinely contribute to long-term health systems strengthening.
High-Level Goals and Outcomes
Vision: Become an international leader in the ethical conduct of clinical care, research, international collaborations, and education in global surgery.
Mission: Through global partnerships, strengthen and empower healthcare systems in low-resource settings to deliver high-quality surgical care to marginalized populations locally and around the world.
Key Outcomes:
- System Strengthening: Develop and support healthcare systems in under-resourced communities in Alberta and globally, improving their capacity to deliver safe, accessible surgical care
- Expanded Access: Increase high-quality surgical care availability for marginalized populations through infrastructure development, equipment provision, and system improvements
- Workforce Development: Train and mentor surgeons, residents, and healthcare professionals through fellowship programs and educational initiatives that build local surgical capacity
- Research Excellence: Conduct impactful, ethically-grounded research that addresses complex global healthcare challenges and informs evidence-based practice in resource-limited contexts
- International Leadership: Establish and model best practices in ethical global surgery, demonstrating how academic institutions can contribute to health equity without exploitation
- Collaborative Partnerships: Foster sustained international collaborations grounded in mutual respect and local ownership that advance surgical care accessibility worldwide
The Office of Global Surgery operates with a mandate to uphold the highest moral integrity and ethical standards, ensuring that all work—clinical, educational, and research—contributes meaningfully to reducing surgical disparities and improving health outcomes for some of the world’s most vulnerable populations.