Constituency statement on WHA78 16.1 from IFSCS Ltd, ICM, WFNMB, ILDS, WGH, WFNS, ICS, Humatem, Women Deliver, WFSA:
This statement will focus on practical aspects of Safe and Scalable Care in health emergencies (HEs), especially in remote and rural environments. It is about who delivers care, and where, in the first 24-48 hours.
We recall WHA resolutions 68.15, 72.16, 74.7 and 76.2, and recognise the importance of integrating surgery and anaesthesia into primary health care towards achieving Universal Health Coverage.
Most global health emergencies are due to natural and manmade disasters where early local multidisciplinary trauma care is critical. Maternal, newborn and adolescent health needs are often overlooked during these disastrous events, as are infective or inflammatory skin conditions. Patients who present as emergencies due to burns, stroke, cardiovascular complications, diabetes mellitus, cancer and many other NCDs often need combined medical, surgical, specialist nursing and critical care.
Hospitals that can provide essential surgical and anaesthesia care have the manpower at medical, nursing, midwifery, hospital engineering and maintenance, laboratories, imaging, and auxiliary staff levels and the infrastructure (in power, oxygen, transport systems, laboratories, blood transfusion and WASH services) to manage critically ill patients, triage mass casualties, provide primary trauma care and manage surges during pandemics. Such readiness requires educational, professional and political support of equal quality for all those who work in such facilities.
We therefore request the WHO to recognise, engage with and support the first contact workforce in all HEPR policies.