Joshua S Ng-Kamstra1,2,3, Johanna N Riesel4,5,6, Sumedha Arya7, Brad Weston7, Tino Kreutzer8,9, John G Meara4,5, Mark G Shrime4,5,10. 1. Program in Global Surgery and Social Change, Harvard Medical School, 641 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. Josh.ng@mail.harvard.edu. 2. Department of Plastic and Oral Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. Josh.ng@mail.harvard.edu. 3. Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. Josh.ng@mail.harvard.edu. 4. Program in Global Surgery and Social Change, Harvard Medical School, 641 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. 5. Department of Plastic and Oral Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. 6. Harvard Plastic Surgery Combined Residency Program, Boston, MA, USA. 7. Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. 8. Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. 9. Affiliated Staff Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Cambridge, MA, USA. 10. Department of Otology and Laryngology and Office of Global Surgery, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Charitable organizations may play a significant role in the delivery of surgical care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, in order to quantify their collective contribution, to account for the care they provide in national surgical plans, and to maximize coordination between organizations, a comprehensive database of these groups is required. We aimed to create such a database using web-available data. METHODS: We searched for organizations that meet the United Nations Rule of Law definition of non-governmental organizations and provide surgery in LMICs. We termed these surgical non-governmental organizations (s-NGOs). We screened multiple sources including a listing of disaster relief organizations, medical volunteerism databases, charity commissions, and the results of a literature search. We performed a secondary review of each eligible organization's website to verify inclusion criteria and extracted data. RESULTS: We found 403 s-NGOs providing surgery in all 139 LMICs, with most (61 %) incorporating surgery into a broader spectrum of health services. Over 80 % of s-NGOs had an office in the USA, the UK, Canada, India, or Australia, and they most commonly provided surgery in India (87 s-NGOs), Haiti (71), Kenya (60), and Ethiopia (55). The most common specialties provided were general surgery (184), obstetrics and gynecology (140), and plastic surgery (116). CONCLUSIONS: This new catalog includes the largest number of s-NGOs to date, but this is likely to be incomplete. This list will be made publicly available to promote collaboration between s-NGOs, national health systems, and global health policymakers.
BACKGROUND: Charitable organizations may play a significant role in the delivery of surgical care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, in order to quantify their collective contribution, to account for the care they provide in national surgical plans, and to maximize coordination between organizations, a comprehensive database of these groups is required. We aimed to create such a database using web-available data. METHODS: We searched for organizations that meet the United Nations Rule of Law definition of non-governmental organizations and provide surgery in LMICs. We termed these surgical non-governmental organizations (s-NGOs). We screened multiple sources including a listing of disaster relief organizations, medical volunteerism databases, charity commissions, and the results of a literature search. We performed a secondary review of each eligible organization's website to verify inclusion criteria and extracted data. RESULTS: We found 403 s-NGOs providing surgery in all 139 LMICs, with most (61 %) incorporating surgery into a broader spectrum of health services. Over 80 % of s-NGOs had an office in the USA, the UK, Canada, India, or Australia, and they most commonly provided surgery in India (87 s-NGOs), Haiti (71), Kenya (60), and Ethiopia (55). The most common specialties provided were general surgery (184), obstetrics and gynecology (140), and plastic surgery (116). CONCLUSIONS: This new catalog includes the largest number of s-NGOs to date, but this is likely to be incomplete. This list will be made publicly available to promote collaboration between s-NGOs, national health systems, and global health policymakers.
Authors: Joshua S Ng-Kamstra; Anna J Dare; Jayadeep Patra; Sze Hang Fu; Peter S Rodriguez; Marvin Hsiao; Raju M Jotkar; J S Thakur; Jay K Sheth; Prabhat Jha Journal: Lancet Date: 2015-04-26 Impact factor: 79.321
Authors: Lily A Gutnik; Joseph Dielman; Anna J Dare; Margarita S Ramos; Robert Riviello; John G Meara; Gavin Yamey; Mark G Shrime Journal: Lancet Date: 2015-04-26 Impact factor: 79.321
Authors: Nguyenvu Nguyen; Jeffrey P Jacobs; Joseph A Dearani; Samuel Weinstein; William M Novick; Marshall L Jacobs; Jeremy Massey; Sara K Pasquali; Henry L Walters; David Drullinsky; Giovanni Stellin; Christo I Tchervenkov Journal: World J Pediatr Congenit Heart Surg Date: 2014-04
Authors: John G Meara; Andrew J M Leather; Lars Hagander; Blake C Alkire; Nivaldo Alonso; Emmanuel A Ameh; Stephen W Bickler; Lesong Conteh; Anna J Dare; Justine Davies; Eunice Dérivois Mérisier; Shenaaz El-Halabi; Paul E Farmer; Atul Gawande; Rowan Gillies; Sarah L M Greenberg; Caris E Grimes; Russell L Gruen; Edna Adan Ismail; Thaim Buya Kamara; Chris Lavy; Ganbold Lundeg; Nyengo C Mkandawire; Nakul P Raykar; Johanna N Riesel; Edgar Rodas; John Rose; Nobhojit Roy; Mark G Shrime; Richard Sullivan; Stéphane Verguet; David Watters; Thomas G Weiser; Iain H Wilson; Gavin Yamey; Winnie Yip Journal: Lancet Date: 2015-04-26 Impact factor: 79.321
Authors: Hampus Holmer; Adam Lantz; Teena Kunjumen; Samuel Finlayson; Marguerite Hoyler; Amani Siyam; Hernan Montenegro; Edward T Kelley; James Campbell; Meena N Cherian; Lars Hagander Journal: Lancet Glob Health Date: 2015-04-27 Impact factor: 26.763
Authors: Michelle C White; Kirsten Randall; Esther Avara; Jenny Mullis; Gary Parker; Mark G Shrime Journal: World J Surg Date: 2018-05 Impact factor: 3.352
Authors: Mark G Shrime; Mirjam Hamer; Swagoto Mukhopadhyay; Lauren M Kunz; Nathan H Claus; Kirsten Randall; Joannita H Jean-Baptiste; Pierre H Maevatombo; Melissa P S Toh; Jasmin R Biddell; Ria Bos; Michelle White Journal: BMJ Glob Health Date: 2017-09-26
Authors: H A Bolkan; A van Duinen; B Waalewijn; M Elhassein; T B Kamara; G F Deen; I Bundu; B Ystgaard; J von Schreeb; A Wibe Journal: Br J Surg Date: 2017-05-18 Impact factor: 6.939
Authors: Michelle C White; Kirsten Randall; Dennis Alcorn; Rachel Greenland; Christine Glasgo; Mark G Shrime Journal: BMC Health Serv Res Date: 2018-04-27 Impact factor: 2.655
Authors: Thom C C Hendriks; Matthijs Botman; Charissa N S Rahmee; Johannes C F Ket; Margriet G Mullender; Barend Gerretsen; Emanuel Q Nuwass; Klaas W Marck; Henri A H Winters Journal: BMJ Glob Health Date: 2019-04-03