The scope of operative general paediatric surgical diseases in South Africa : the Chris Hani Baragwanath experience

Abstract

Background: Infectious diseases have always been the limelight of global health with very little focus on childhood surgical conditions even though children constitute about half of the population in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). A significant proportion of the burden of global disease can be reduced by surgical intervention. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional descriptive study analysing theatre logbook data as at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital (CHBAH) over a one-year period (2017). Results: There were 1699 operative general paediatric surgical procedures of which 61.7% were elective and 38.3% emergencies. Of these, surgeries for congenital anomalies were performed in almost all the subspecialties. Conclusion: There is a high operative paediatric surgical burden at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital. Congenital anomalies are ranked one of the five leading causes of under-five mortality thus operative interventions will significantly reduce under-five mortality. Therefore, the role of Paediatric Surgical care as an essential component of global health cannot be under rated.