Count What Matters: Embedding Surgical Indicators in National Indicator Datasets to Accelerate Universal Access to Safe Surgical Care
1
Bophelo Unit for Equity, Intelligence and Learning, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa
2
Safe Surgical Care Technical Working Group, Pretoria, South Africa
3
Department of Anaesthesiology, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa
4
Safe Surgery South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A903
ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT:
1.
INTRODUCTION:
Safe surgery is a cornerstone of universal health coverage, yet many countries cannot routinely answer basic questions: How many operations are performed? Who can access care within time? What are perioperative outcomes? Without standardised surgical indicators embedded in national indicator datasets, surgical systems remain “invisible” to planners, weakening monitoring and evaluation, resource allocation, quality improvement, and accountability. The result is predictable: preventable morbidity and mortality, escalating medicolegal and downstream health-system costs, and avoidable shocks to household livelihoods, broader social determinants of health and inequities. 2. Proposed outline of session: This 60-minute panel adopts a surgical systems strengthening and health information systems (HIS) lens to position surgical indicators as vital for resilient, equitable health systems. It also explores how embedding key surgical indicators (Utstein Indicators e.g., surgical volume, and perioperative mortality rates) in national datasets enhances system functions across governance, financing, workforce, service delivery, access to equipment, and quality by enabling routine measurement, monitoring and evaluation. Panelists will explore how surgical data can be integrated into national HIS architectures, linked to health planning, used to identify access inequities, monitor perioperative safety, and guide resource allocation to improve surgical outcomes and their impact on the social determinants of health. Panelists will include senior representatives from Ministries of Health (Health Information Systems/Digital Health and UHC policy leads), surgery and anaesthesia clinical governance leaders, and provincial and hospital management. 3. Intended audience: The target audience includes delegates at the intersection of health systems, digital health, health information systems, quality, monitoring and evaluation, and leaders in surgery, anaesthesia, and obstetrics, as well as UHC across all levels of the healthcare system. 4.
CONCLUSIONS:
Reframing surgical indicators as core HIS assets, this session will promote routine measurement to improve surgical systems, safety, equity, and progress toward UHC.
1.
INTRODUCTION:
Safe surgery is a cornerstone of universal health coverage, yet many countries cannot routinely answer basic questions: How many operations are performed? Who can access care within time? What are perioperative outcomes? Without standardised surgical indicators embedded in national indicator datasets, surgical systems remain “invisible” to planners, weakening monitoring and evaluation, resource allocation, quality improvement, and accountability. The result is predictable: preventable morbidity and mortality, escalating medicolegal and downstream health-system costs, and avoidable shocks to household livelihoods, broader social determinants of health and inequities. 2. Proposed outline of session: This 60-minute panel adopts a surgical systems strengthening and health information systems (HIS) lens to position surgical indicators as vital for resilient, equitable health systems. It also explores how embedding key surgical indicators (Utstein Indicators e.g., surgical volume, and perioperative mortality rates) in national datasets enhances system functions across governance, financing, workforce, service delivery, access to equipment, and quality by enabling routine measurement, monitoring and evaluation. Panelists will explore how surgical data can be integrated into national HIS architectures, linked to health planning, used to identify access inequities, monitor perioperative safety, and guide resource allocation to improve surgical outcomes and their impact on the social determinants of health. Panelists will include senior representatives from Ministries of Health (Health Information Systems/Digital Health and UHC policy leads), surgery and anaesthesia clinical governance leaders, and provincial and hospital management. 3. Intended audience: The target audience includes delegates at the intersection of health systems, digital health, health information systems, quality, monitoring and evaluation, and leaders in surgery, anaesthesia, and obstetrics, as well as UHC across all levels of the healthcare system. 4.
CONCLUSIONS:
Reframing surgical indicators as core HIS assets, this session will promote routine measurement to improve surgical systems, safety, equity, and progress toward UHC.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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