Global Initiative of Emergency and Surgical Care

Breena R. Taira, MD, MPH, recent graduate of the GPH and fellow in Emergency Medicine, was invited by the World Health Organization to participate in the Third meeting of the Global Initiative of Emergency and Essential Surgical Care (GIEESC) in UlaanBaatar, Mongolia June 5-6, 2009. GIEESC is a WHO initiative begun in 2005 to improve collaborations among organizations, agencies and institutions involved in reducing death and disability from road traffic accidents, trauma, burns, falls, pregnancy related complications, domestic violence, disasters and other emergency surgical conditions. GIEESC aims to strengthen capacity to deliver effective emergency surgical care at the first referral level facility, thereby contributing towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Dr. Taira reported to the members of GIEESC on the results of a study of surgical capacity and infrastructure in the conflict-affected areas of Sri Lanka.