One third of the global disease burden is surgical in nature, yet over five billion of the world’s population lack access to safe and effective surgical care. The imbalance is even worse in low- and lower-income countries where 90% of people have little to no access to surgical care. This enormous lack of surgical and anesthetic services results in over 18 million deaths annually, many preventable.
At the root of this crisis is a shortage of skilled surgical health workers. The expansion and upskilling of the existing and future frontline surgical care workforce is key to tackling this challenge, especially in low-resource settings where the need is greatest.
This includes meeting the clinical training needs of surgeons, anesthesiologists, obstetricians and gynecologists, and nurses, technical training for those providing and maintaining the equipment and infrastructure required for the delivery of safe surgery, and the academic educational needs of students, educators, researchers and policy makers.
SURGhub: A digital bridge for surgical education
A wide variety of training and educational material presently exists; however, it is fragmented across many online platforms and often underused.
SURGhub, launched in June 2023 with funding from Johnson & Johnson Foundation, offers a single “go-to” Hub for global surgery educational material, providing an effective bridge between learners’ needs and appropriate education and training content. It is the first UN-backed training platform specifically for surgical care teams, combining the world-leading experience of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research and the Global Surgery Foundation’s surgical expertise and network.
By hosting training materials on one easily accessible, educational portal, SURGhub brings education and training opportunities from various academic and professional organizations to all cadres involved in the delivery of surgical care—surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, technical staff, paramedics and more—from beginner to advanced levels. Through this comprehensive approach, health workers can continually improve their practice with real-world challenges, ultimately supporting better patient outcomes.
The platform’s innovative open-access design, coupled with its user-friendly features, has made it a valuable resource in even the most challenging environments. With just an internet connection, health workers from around the globe can access more than 50 high-quality training courses, from basic surgical techniques to advanced procedures. The platform’s open access model ensures that anyone who wants to learn, no matter where they live, can participate.
Groundbreaking impact recognized with “Oscars of higher education” award
Since its launch in June 2023, SURGhub has reached more than 10,000 health workers from 180+ countries—70% of them from low- or middle-income countries. The significant impact was recognized at the 2024 Times Higher Education Awards where it won in the “Technological or Digital Innovation of the Year” category.
Often referred to as the “Oscars of higher education,” the Times Higher Education Awards celebrate excellence across a wide range of university activities, including leadership, management, administration and academia. Winning the prestigious award is a testament to SURGhub’s groundbreaking work and its potential to transform surgical training worldwide.
J&J teams are working with organizations at the community, national and global level to build local capacities and provide the safest and most effective surgical treatment in operating rooms around the world. This includes collaboration between SURGhub and J&J MedTech to identify content gaps on SURGhub to enhance the hub’s offering to reach the most users. SURGhub is just one part of J&J’s broader commitment to global surgery and advancing quality access to everyone, everywhere.
Surgical care and the capacity to perform safe surgery is widely recognized as vital to a properly functioning and resilient healthcare system and an important component of public health. Access to safe and affordable surgical services for all is essential for achieving global health aims, including universal health coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals.