This year on Global Surgery Day (May 25), we marked a decade since the unanimous adoption of World Health Assembly Resolution 68.15—recognizing emergency and essential surgical and anesthesia care as part of Universal Health Coverage—and also ten years of advocacy by the G4 Alliance and its member organizations.

In that time, progress has been made in the form of policy integration of systems for emergency, critical and operative care, national planning and implementation, and the coalescence of the movement around priorities for the future.

But the need remains vast—5 billion people still lack access to safe, timely, and affordable surgical and anesthesia care. That’s why we’re proud to join The Royal College of Surgeons of England and global partners in a bold call to action, addressing key areas including financing, research and routine data, and localization.

As we reflect on the G4 Alliance’s journey—from 20 founding organizations to nearly 80 today, reaching 130 countries and supporting millions of patients and providers—we remain guided by our mission of “advocating for the neglected surgical patient.”

Read the joint statement.