Safe surgery is a core component of universal health coverage, which includes safe anesthesia and perioperative care. In the United States, there are 21 anesthesiologists per 100,000 people. Yet, in low-income countries such as Ethiopia, there are only 0.05 anesthesiologists per 100,000 people (asamonitor.pub/30bffPZ). According to the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WFSA), Afghanistan has only one physician qualified in anesthesiology in the entire country. In resource-constrained countries with anesthesiology training programs, anesthesiology is often seen as a less desirable specialty with low interest levels among medical students. This is partly due to lack of exposure during training (Trop Doct 2005;35:220-2; Trop Doct 2000;30:146-9; World J Surg 2010;34:438-44).
Safe surgery is not always possible, and rates of preventable maternal and surgical complications remain elevated in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) (Trop Doct 2005;35:220-2; Trop Doct 2000;30:146-9). A scarcity of trained...
