Global Initiative for Emergency and Essential Surgical Care (GIEESC)

The Global Initiative for Emergency and Essential Surgical Care (GIEESC) was established in December 2005.

The overall objective was to improve collaborations among organizations, agencies and institutions involved in reducing death and disability from road traffic accidents, trauma, burns, falls, pregnancy related complications, domestic violence, disasters and other emergency surgical conditions. The specific objectives were to strengthen capacity to deliver effective emergency surgical care at the first referral level facility, thereby contributing towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). safe and appropriate use of emergency and essential surgical procedures and linked equipment in resource limited healthcare facilities, thereby improving the quality of care and strengthening of existing training and education programmes for safety of essential clinical procedures in countries

GIEESC was established with the following terms of reference:

• GIEESC is a partnership of internationally recognized organizations, institutions, associations, agencies, NGOs and individuals from developing and developed countries
• WHO will coordinate the activities of the partners in GIEESC and will act as the secretariat for the Initiative.
• The members of the partnership will share expertise, work together in identifying problems, seeking solutions and working towards meeting the MDGs (maternal and child mortality, HIV) through improvement in the quality and safety of clinical procedures (essential surgical and anaesthesia care).
• GIEESC will collaborate to:
• Encourage research within resource limited settings
• Identify specific research needs and funding sources on emergency and essential surgical care,
• Promote the use of evidence-based emergency and essential surgical (including anaesthesia) practices
• Facilitate information exchange and dissemination
• The partnership will promote appropriate and sustainable standards through an integrated approach to improve the quality and safety of emergency and essential surgical care at resource limited health care facilities.
• The partnership will define and promote minimum standards based on evidence and best practice that are related to the Millenium Development Goals.
• The members of the GIEESC agree to collaborate in facilitating progress in the following areas:
• International consensus on essential principles of safety in emergency and essential surgical (including anaesthesia) practices
• Encouraging and supporting establishment of national programmes on essential surgical care
• Promoting training in surgical and anaesthesia techniques to reduce blood loss, prevent HIV and other blood borne pathogens
• Implementation of appropriate best practice protocols for Clinical Procedures safety at all levels of care
• Assuring quality and safety in emergency and essential surgical (including anaesthesia) practices
• Promote evidence-based emergency and essential surgical (including anaesthesia) practices.

GIEESC reports

2009

2007

2005