The Boston Declaration is a celebration, a process and a pledge.
In 2015, the Lancet Commission Report on Global Surgery was published, a landmark publication that immediately resulted in a World Health Assembly Resolution to strengthen emergency and essential surgery and anesthesia services. This activity led to global awareness of disparities in access to quality surgical care. For neurosurgery, this has been estimated to mean that over 5 million emergency surgeries cannot be done each year, due to an estimated deficit of 23,000 neurosurgeons. Neurosurgery has responded with generosity and vigor, with robust growth in global education and publications. Global neurosurgery has emerged as a subspecialty dedicated to the clinical and public health practice of neurosurgery, with the goal of assuring access to safe, affordable, timely neurosurgical care to all who need it. The first 10 years of progress in this domain is an appropriate time to reflect and rededicate ourselves to this mission.
But there is much work to be done. More than 2/3 of the earth’s population do not have access to quality neurosurgical care. The identification of needs for training, equipment and more responsive health care systems will require a process in which stakeholders in the global neurosurgical enterprise must participate. The process we have identified will be a series of virtual “town hall” meetings from November, 2024 through April, 2025. These stakeholders will identify the gaps in the current global situation and describe the specific needs that could be addressed by this international neurosurgical community.
In Boston, our global neurosurgical community will come together in a historic and symbolic venue to pledge contributions of resources that will help to fill these identified needs. Neurosurgical associations, departments and practices, as well as industry partners, patient and family associations and related disciplines will make pledges toward our identified needs in this global mission. The impact from these pledges will be re-evaluated at 1-, 3- and 5-year maturation dates, at future meetings of the Global Neurosurgery Forum.
On April 24, we will gather at the Edward M Kennedy Institute for the Study of the United States Senate to celebrate the progress we have made so far, as well as the exciting future of global surgery, which is being led by neurosurgeons.
Please join us! You can begin by registering for the meeting in Boston, and by registering for a virtual town hall meeting.
The Boston Declaration 2025: Plan and Pledges for Progress in Global Neurosurgery – PubMed