ArticleBMJ open2021
Surgical procedures for children in the public healthcare sector: a nationwide, facility-based study in Uganda.
Article in BMJ open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.
- Task Shifting and Task Sharing to Strengthen the Surgical Workforce in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review of the Existing Literature.World journal of surgery · 2023Pooled it
- Surgical Disease Burden, Outcomes, and Roles of Non-Physician Clinicians in Ugandan Emergency Departments.The western journal of emergency medicine · 2025Article
- What Is the Need for and Access to Trauma Surgery in Low- and Middle-Income Countries? A Scoping Review.World journal of surgery · 2025Article
- A review of twenty-first century developments in paediatric surgery in Africa.Pediatric surgery international · 2024Review
- The status of pediatric surgery in Malawi: a narrative mini-review.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2023Review
- The state of surgery, obstetrics, trauma, and anaesthesia care in Ghana: a narrative review.Global health action · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveThis study investigated the surgical services for children at the highest levels of the public healthcare sector in Uganda. The aim was to determine volumes and types of procedure performed and the patients and the human resource involved.
designThe study was a facility-based, record review.
settingThe study was carried out at the National Referral Hospital, all 14 regional referral hospitals and 14 general hospitals in Uganda, representing the highest levels of hospital in the public healthcare sector.
participantsThe subjects were children <18 years who underwent major surgery in the study hospitals during 2013 and 2014.
resultsThe study hospitals contribute with an average annual rate of paediatric surgery at 22.0 per 100 000 paediatric population. This is a fraction of the estimated need. Most of the procedures were performed for congenital anomalies (n=3111, 39.4%), inflammation and infection (n=2264, 28.7%) and trauma (n=1210, 15.3%). Specialist surgeons performed 60.3% (n=4758) of the procedures, and anaesthesia was administered by specialist physician anaesthetists in 11.6% (n=917) of the cases.
conclusionsA variety of paediatric surgical procedures are performed in a relatively decentralised system throughout Uganda. Task shifting and task sharing of surgery and anaesthesia are widespread: a large proportion of surgical procedures was carried out by non-specialist physicians, with anaesthesia mostly delivered by non-physician anaesthetists. Reinforcing the capacity and promoting the expansion of the health facilities studied, in particular the general hospitals and regional referral hospitals, could help reduce the immense unmet need for surgical services for children in Uganda.
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