Cost-effectiveness of surgical interventions in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review and critical analysis of recent evidence.

Background: Cost-effectiveness evidence is a critical tool to support resource allocation decisions. There is growing recognition that the development of benefit packages for surgical care should be guided by such evidence, particularly in resource-constraint settings.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review of evidence (Medline, Embase, Global Health, EconLit and grey literature) on the cost-effectiveness of surgery across low-income and middle-income countries published between January 2013 and January 2023.

Can sugar taxes be used for financing surgical systems in Nigeria? A mixed-methods political economy analysis.

This study determined the feasibility of investing revenues raised through Nigeria's sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax of 10 Naira/l to support the implementation of the National, Surgical, Obstetrics, Anaesthesia and Nursing Plan, which aims to strengthen access to surgical care in the country. We conducted a mixed-methods political economy analysis. This included a modelling exercise to predict the revenues from Nigeria's SSB tax based on its current tax rate over a period of 5 years, and for several scenarios such as a 20% ad valorem tax recommended by the World Health Organization.

Identifying critical gaps in research to advance global surgery by 2030: a systematic mapping review.

Progress on surgical system strengthening has been slow due to a disconnect between evidence generation and the information required for effective policymaking. This systematic mapping review sought to assess critical research gaps in the field of global surgery guided by the World Health Organisation Health Systems building block framework, analysis of authorship and funding patterns, and an exploration of emerging research partnership networks. Literature was systematically mapped to identify, screen, and synthesize results of publications in the global surgery field between 2015 and March 2022.

Assessing the impact of anaesthetic and surgical task-shifting globally: a systematic literature review.

The global shortage of skilled anaesthesiologists, surgeons and obstetricians is a leading cause of high unmet surgical need. Although anaesthetic and surgical task-shifting are widely practised to mitigate this barrier, little is known about their safety and efficacy. This systematic review seeks to highlight the existing evidence on the clinical outcomes of patients operated on by non-physicians or non-specialist physicians globally.