The collateral damage of the COVID-19 pandemic on surgical health care in sub-Saharan Africa

[...]research conducted in SSA is needed to inform and translate political support into evidenced-based surgical health care programs that will strengthen health systems based on local specificities. [...]we support strengthening and expansion of anaesthesia and critical care, crucial components of surgical health services, as part of comprehensive COVID-19 emergency preparedness and response for the evolving COVID-19 surge in SSA. [...]we call upon the professional associations, together with academic heads of surgical departments to rapidly develop, implement and scale-up measures that both protect surgical trainees and create an enabling environment for their continued learning and retention within the public sector training programs. [...]we encourage global surgery academic collaborative partnerships to continue through online platforms to share challenges and solutions throughout SSA on how to deliver surgical health care for emergency and essential surgical conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic.