A SCOTS children’s charity is marking over one million disability years prevented through its installation of new operating rooms in several developing countries.
Kids Operating Room (KidsOR) is aiming to transform paediatric surgery in low- and middle-income countries has marked over one million disability years prevented.
This has been achieved through the charity’s installation of 54 operating rooms.
KidsOR revealed 1,177,918 Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALY) as it marks almost 70,000 life-changing surgical procedures undertaken since launching in 2018.
The DALY figure represents the years of disability – due to prevalent cases of the disease or health condition – prevented due to operations undertaken in a theatre installed by KidsOR.
It was calculated by a team of in-country researchers working with University of California.
100 operations are undertaken every single day with the annual capacity growing to 36,500 per year as KidsOR advocates to reduce the global plight of children denied access to safe surgery.
Co-founder and Chairman, Garreth Wood, said: “For a huge portion of the world’s children a broken leg represents a lifelong disability – and appendicitis is a death sentence.
“Reaching this milestone is a testament to the work and ambition of KidsOR.
“The countries we operate in have an overwhelming demand for paediatric care and we are creating systems fit for local purpose.
“Hospital spaces are being transformed into dedicated operating rooms providing surgeons with the specialist equipment they need to care for their nation’s children in a child-friendly surrounding.
“Despite reaching these milestones, we still have a long way to go.
“1.75 billion children still lack access to safe surgery and, every year, more children die from not getting the surgery they need than from Malaria, HIV and TB combined.”
To date, the charity has installed operating rooms across Africa and Latin America improving the access to surgical care through installing state of the art Operating Rooms and training surgical teams.
By the end of this decade KidsOR aims to have installed 120 dedicated children’s Operating Rooms across Africa alone, providing essential surgery to more than 635,000 children.
Garreth added: “The life prospects of children who require surgery are greatly enhanced by the opening of KidsOR facilities, while the countries benefit economically from a healthier future workforce.
“It wouldn’t be possible to deliver this without the generous support of our donors, collaboration with our partners and the dedication of our Board, volunteers and staff team.
“Together we can make access to lifesaving and lifechanging surgery for every child a reality.”
In addition to providing state of the art paediatric Operating Rooms, KidsOR funds the training of paediatric surgeons and anaesthesia providers and works with National Ministries of Health to develop sustainable healthcare services.
In 2021 the charity provided 22 scholarships in Africa.
