Association for Socially Applicable Research (ASAR), Pune, Maharashtra, India.
Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States.
Front Public Health. 2024 Feb 21;12:1325922. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1325922. eCollection 2024.
South Asia is a demographically crucial, economically aspiring, and socio-culturally diverse region in the world. The region contributes to a large burden of surgically-treatable disease conditions. A large number of people in South Asia cannot access safe and affordable surgical, obstetric, trauma, and anesthesia (SOTA) care when in need. Yet, attention to the region in Global Surgery and Global Health is limited. Here, we assess the status of SOTA care in South Asia. We summarize the evidence on SOTA care indicators and planning. Region-wide, as well as country-specific challenges are highlighted. We also discuss potential directions-initiatives and innovations-toward addressing these challenges. Local partnerships, sustained research and advocacy efforts, and politics can be aligned with evidence-based policymaking and health planning to achieve equitable SOTA care access in the South Asian region under the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
南亚是世界上人口结构至关重要、经济充满抱负、社会文化多样化的地区。该地区在可通过手术治疗的疾病方面负担沉重。南亚有大量人在需要时无法获得安全和负担得起的外科、产科、创伤和麻醉（SOTA）护理。然而，全球外科学和全球卫生对该地区的关注有限。在这里，我们评估南亚 SOTA 护理的现状。我们总结了 SOTA 护理指标和规划的证据。突出了全区域以及各国的具体挑战。我们还讨论了解决这些挑战的潜在方向——倡议和创新。在南亚区域合作联盟（SAARC）下，通过地方伙伴关系、持续的研究和宣传工作以及政治，可以与循证决策和卫生规划保持一致，以实现南亚地区公平获得 SOTA 护理。
