Citation, abstract and a comment from me below.
CITATION: Bull World Health Organ. 2025 Jan 20;103(3):194–203. doi: 10.2471/BLT.24.292412
Global burden of emergency and operative conditions: an analysis of Global Burden of Disease data, 2011–2019
Sabrina Wimmer a, Shreeja Sarabu a, Emilie Calvello Hynes b, Mary Louisa Plummer b, Maeve Sophia Bognini a, Meskerem Aleka Kebede a, Martilord Ifeanyichi a, Hassan Daoud c, Mariam Dahir c, Rachel Hargest d, Rocco Friebel a,✉
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11865850/
ABSTRACT
Objective
To estimate the global burden of conditions requiring emergency or operative care and to investigate variations over time and between countries.
Methods
We obtained data on deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost from the Global Burden of Disease database for 193 countries covering 2011 to 2019. We defined emergency conditions as conditions that, if not diagnosed and treated within hours to days of onset, often lead to serious physical or mental disability or death. We defined operative conditions as conditions that may require the expertise of a surgically trained provider and these conditions were identified using a modified Delphi consensus process.
Findings
In 2019, emergency conditions accounted for 27 167 926 deaths and 1 015 000 000 DALYs globally, and operative conditions accounted for 17 648 680 deaths and 619 600 000 DALYs. Conditions classified as emergency-and-operative conditions accounted for 6 966 425 deaths and 303 344 808 DALYs. For emergency conditions, the per capita burden of deaths and DALYs was greatest for low-income countries. Between 2011 and 2019, deaths and DALYs due to emergency conditions decreased, whereas deaths due to operative conditions increased slightly. These trends may have been driven by strengthened prevention and early detection mechanisms, improved emergency care provision or epidemiological changes. However, because emergency and operative conditions were defined differently, it may not be valid to compare trends directly.
Conclusion
The high global burden of emergency and operative conditions identified underscores the importance of strengthening and scaling up integrated emergency, critical and operative care internationally.
COMMENT (NPW): As is the case with almost all such research, we know a lot about absolute numbers and medical causes of death, but very little about whether and how these deaths might have been avoided with better quality of care, and specifically through better evidence-informed decision-making, from self-care (and prevention) through to tertiary care. Knowing these absolute numbers is vital, but only provides a small part of the picture.
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org