• R Serene Perkins, Kathleen M Casey, and K A Kelly McQueen.
• Department of Surgery, International Surgery Program, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, L223, Portland, OR 97239-3098, USA. sperkins429@gmail.com
• World J Surg. 2010 Mar 1;34(3):371-3.

AbstractIn the past decade, interest in surgery as a means to improve public health and engage in international service has increased significantly. International organizations, academic institutions, professional associations, and humanitarian aid organizations recognize that disparate access to surgical care affects global health and they have recently joined forces to address access to surgical care. Current initiatives focus on quantitatively defining surgical disparity, prioritizing a surgical agenda, and developing economically sustainable models for health care assistance, training, and delivery. The Global Burden of Surgical Disease Working Group (GBoSD WG) strives to (1) quantitatively define global disparity in surgical care; (2) assess unmet surgical need; (3) identify priorities; (4) develop sustainable models for improved health care delivery; and (5) advocate for a surgical presence within the global public health agenda. This article formally introduces the GBoSD Working Group and papers presented during the 2009 Symposium at the American College of Surgeons in Chicago.

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