Global Surgery Programme - Capacity Building Beyond Borders

A landmark report, "Global Surgery 2030: evidence and solutions for achieving health, welfare and economic development" by The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery highlighted that in 2010, an estimated 16.9 million lives were lost due to lack of accessible, safe and affordable surgery. This figure is 4 times the mortality caused by malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS combined. The report demonstrates that surgical conditions impede economic development in LMICs (low-income and middle-income countries). Without intervention, surgical conditions will be a major barrier to economic growth, productivity and welfare in LMICs and there is a compelling need for a scale-up of surgical care in our region.

In partnership with donors and other like-minded academic institutions, Surgery ACP started the Global Surgery Programme to enhance regional surgical capabilities and improve patient outcomes by playing a leading role in regional capacity building.

Purpose

Surgery ACP plan to introduce a Capacity Building Beyond Borders - Global Surgery Programme to “help others to help themselves” through capability transfer in resource-limited countries. The purpose of the programme is to build a regional network which will create goodwill between Singapore and other countries to facilitate the transfer of surgical knowledge and skills in various surgical speciality fields with the intention of building bridges of cooperation and exchange.

Plans Ahead

We will develop and strengthen our capacity building programs in partnership with selected countries to region such as Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka etc.

Through empowering regional medical practitioners on taking leadership roles, the programme aspires to steer them towards a more self-sustaining surgical medical competencies within their local communities. Additionally, trained medical practitioners benefitting from this programme will in turn train their local counterparts which ensures the continuation of capacity building and capabilities advancement with the partner hospitals.

Goal

The core aims of the Global Surgery Programme includes:

1. Surgical skills set exchange – to transfer surgical knowledge and skills in surgical specialty fields;
2. Contribution to the global health knowledge frontier – to gain new insights into surgical practices and decision-making in limited resource settings through studying disease load, surgical epidemiology, and relevant regional surgical needs; and
3. Advocating for safe surgery through tools such as surgical checklists

These 3 aims will be achieved through overseas engagements, and regional capacity building through continuing education workshops and clinical fellowship programme.

With the easing of travel measures, we hope to explore further overseas engagements and welcome more overseas fellows for fellowship trainings. Knowledge transfer and exchange will be facilitated through webinars and live streaming technology, online surgical conferences, workshops and live stream surgical demonstrations for continuous capacity building with regional hospital partners instead of physical meetings.

Project/Country Leads for Overseas Engagement

The Surgery in Rural and Austere Environments: A Cadaveric Course (SIRAEC) is a global surgery education initiative led by SingHealth Duke-NUS partners to strengthen surgical capacity in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Designed for surgeons working in resource-limited environments, the programme provides hands-on training in essential surgical procedures commonly required in rural and austere settings.

Through a multidisciplinary curriculum delivered by faculty from Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Musculoskeletal Sciences, and Anaesthesiology, participants gain practical experience using cadaveric models alongside lectures, case discussions, and peer learning opportunities. The programme focuses on equipping healthcare professionals with the knowledge and technical skills needed to safely manage high-impact surgical conditions where specialist resources may be limited.

Since its launch in 2024, SIRAEC has trained more than 80 surgeons from across Asia and fostered a growing network of global surgery partners committed to improving access to safe surgical care. Building on the success of previous courses conducted in Singapore, the programme is expanding through regional satellite training centres and a train-the-trainer model to develop sustainable local teaching capability and strengthen surgical education networks across the region.

Beyond technical training, SIRAEC serves as a platform for international collaboration, knowledge exchange, and innovation in global surgery. By bringing together healthcare professionals from diverse settings, the programme promotes the sharing of practical solutions, supports future partnerships, and contributes to the advancement of surgical care for underserved populations.

Our Vision
To establish a regional hub for global surgery education that empowers healthcare professionals, strengthens surgical systems, and improves access to safe and timely surgical care for communities in resource-constrained settings across Asia.

Key Highlights

• Hands-on cadaveric training focused on surgery in low-resource environments.
• Multidisciplinary faculty from multiple clinical specialties.
• Participation from surgeons and trainees across Asia.
• Regional satellite training centres and train-the-trainer programmes.
• Platform for global health collaboration, research, and knowledge exchange.
• Strengthening Singapore's role as a leader in global surgery education.