From the Executive Director
Dear Friends,
In 2015, the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery was purposed to promote widespread access to safe and high-quality surgical care – something you and I take for granted. The LCGS Commission estimated that five billion people lack access to safe and affordable surgical care and that 143 million additional surgeries are needed each year to save lives and prevent disability due to surgical disease. For over 10 years, we at Global Surgical Expedition have been committed to playing a part in addressing this immense problem. We are proud to once again share with you the far-reaching efforts and impact that Global Surgical Expedition had over the last year toward improving access to surgical care worldwide.
With your support, we have now treated more than 1,200 patients and provided nearly 500 surgeries in Belize and Rwanda, where these surgeries were not an option. In 2022, we sent five surgical teams to Central America and Africa and provided 71 life-changing surgeries. This included our first trip to Botswana, which was a great success. With our local partners’ support, we will be sending two teams annually and look forward to making an even greater impact…
We do all of this with your support – and we couldn’t do it without you. Please take a look at all we’ve accomplished this last year and the many initiatives we have planned for the months ahead. I hope that you feel proud to be part of this growing organization and the thousands of lives you’ve helped to change. With your continued help, we can – we will – do so much more.
With heartfelt thanks,
David E. Rapp, MD, Founder and President
