Care Providers

The Pan-Africa Surgical Conference One Year Later: Reflecting on Progress, Challenges and Working Towards Surgical Equity

One year after the conference, leaders from Operation Smile, COSESCA and the University of Rwanda discuss the advances in strengthening surgical systems and expanding access to care throughout Africa.

March 3, 2026

Safe surgery is a basic human right, not a privilege. More than 500 attendees from 36 countries gathered at the first ever Pan-African Surgical Conference in Kigali, Rwanda in February 2025 to discuss and find solutions to a universal problem: Over 5 billion people, mostly in low- and middle-income countries, lack access to safe, timely and affordable surgical care.…