The evolving role of surgery in the international public health agenda

Abstract

This article presents an overview of the 3 key events in 2015 that led to the entry of surgery into the public health agenda, and the subsequent assembly of an international global surgery community to transform established recommendations into action and to continue to advocate for the role of surgery as a public health priority internationally. It also discusses Brazil's efforts to address the barriers to surgical care provision, which provide interesting lessons to countries looking at the Brazilian model as a way to implement universal health coverage.