Global health efforts in the 21st century have largely shifted away from disease-specific interventions to target the full spectrum of health care delivery. Universal health coverage has become the goal for countries of all resource levels, and this includes treating patients with critical illness. Unfortunately, lack of prioritization and funding and workforce issues have kept health systems in low-resource settings from reaching this goal. Kenya, for example, has just over 500 ICU beds for a population of approximately 54 million people (0.93 beds per 100,000 population), with 50% of these beds in the capital city. By comparison, in 2018, there were over 96,000 ICU beds in the United States for a population of over 326 million (29.4 beds per 100,000 population) (asamonitor.pub/3vKx3Oj; Anesth Analg 2022;134:926-9). What is the current reality of critical care services in low-resource environments, and what are potential solutions to this crisis?
Drs. Eunice...
