Enhancing Global Surgical Care through Monitoring and Evaluation Strategies

On Tuesday, April 16, 2024, the Texas Children’s Foundations in Global Health (FIGH) Lecture Series hosted an educational session that emphasized the critical role of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) practices in global surgery. Titled “Enhancing Surgical Impact: Advancing Monitoring and Evaluation Strategies in Global Health Initiatives,” the session was facilitated by Dr. Rachel Davis, Nadia Rahman, and Dr. Youmna Sherif. Faculty, staff, and learners from Texas Children’s who are interested in global health learned about innovative strategies that are reshaping how surgical care is delivered and evaluated in low and middle-income countries.

Five billion people worldwide currently lack access to essential surgery and anesthesia care. Texas Children’s and Baylor College of Medicine are collaborating to address this inequity. Dr. Davis highlighted the enormity of the challenge, stating that “Nine out of ten people in these regions cannot access basic surgical care.”

The solution involves using multiple strategies, including education, collaboration, advocacy, and research, to address the issue. The Global Surgery Residency at Baylor College of Medicine, the sole longitudinal integrated clinical global surgery residency in the U.S., prepares surgeons to effectively operate in under-resourced areas with challenging conditions.  

The session provided valuable insights from a recent course taught by the speakers at the University of Global Health Equity in Rwanda. This university, founded by Paul Farmer, a pioneering figure in global health from Harvard University, aims to train African leaders in the field of global health. The M&E modules demonstrated how these frameworks improve the delivery of surgical care in real-world settings. Nadia Rahman, a global M&E specialist at Texas Children's, discussed how well-executed M&E frameworks bolster healthcare systems. She outlined the fundamental steps in creating a results framework and identifying key indicators necessary for evaluating program effectiveness and identifying areas for improvement.

The event underscored the significance of integrating strong M&E strategies into global health initiatives. These crucial M&E frameworks serve as valuable dissemination tools, enabling health facilities and governments to make informed, data-driven decisions. Incorporating strong M&E strategies can greatly improve the effectiveness and impact of global health programs. 

Watch the session below: