ara20">We used the United Nations Rule Of Law definition to define NGOs. We included low-income, lower-middle- income, and upper-middle-income countries as defined by World Bank lending groups. Delivery of surgical care by an NGO was defined as the therapeutic manipulation of tissues taking place within an operating room, and was distinguished from the financial or logistical support of such care. We screened an online humanitarian clearing house (ReliefWeb), a large public NGO database (
ara30">We identified 313 unique organisations, working in all 139 LMICs. Organisations often used more than one model of care and engaged in several surgical specialties. Both short-term surgical missions (206 organisations, 66%) and long-term partnerships (213, 68%) were common models, with 40 organisations (13%) engaging in humanitarian interventions in crisis settings. The most commonly represented specialty was general surgery (120, 38%), but subspecialty surgery such as ophthalmology (88, 28%) and cleft lip and palate surgery (70, 22%) were also frequently performed.
ara40">To our knowledge, this is the most complete directory of NGOs undertaking surgery in resource-limited settings in existence. However, it is difficult to determine whether this review is exhaustive. Further work is needed to determine the total and relative contributions of these organisations to global surgical volume. This database will be made available for public use and should be maintained and updated to further coordinate global efforts and maximise impact.
ara50">None.