Althea Mae Caleon - Anesthesiology

 

Invisible Barriers: Addressing Global Access to Safe Anesthesia

By: Althea Mae Caleon

Anesthesiology is the field of medicine that focuses on keeping patients safe and pain-free during surgery and medical procedures. In modern healthcare access to anesthesia is essential, yet global disparities remain significant and often overlooked as a healthcare issue. According to the World Federation of Societies of Anesthesiologists (WFSA), over five billion people lack access to safe anesthesia and surgical care, primarily in low and middle income countries. Another issue would be the shortage of trained anesthesiologists. This is a critical factor for the increasing demand for surgical services.

This workforce shortage leads to delays or cancellations of significant surgeries and contributes to high mortality rates. For instance, maternal deaths from cesarean sections in sub-Saharan African countries are at least 50 times higher than in countries with higher income, partly due to a lack of trained anesthesia providers. While in many regions, anesthesia or medication is administered by unprofessionals or without proper monitoring, elevating patient risk.   

Efforts to bridge this gap include increasing the number of physician anesthesiologist residency positions and easing financial constraints, including Medicare payment reform for anesthesiologist services. Initiatives like the WFSA’s Global Anesthesia Workforce Support Program aim to provide education and capacity-building in underserved areas. However, sustainable change requires increased funding, policy reform, and global collaboration. 

Anesthesia shouldn’t be optional and pose a threat to healthcare, it is lifesaving. Though many parts of the world still struggle with limited access to safe anesthesia, global efforts are growing to train more anesthesiologists and improve care that brings hope for safer surgeries globally. 


Meet the Author: 

Hello!! My name is Althea Mae Caleon, and I’m from Southern California. Since a young age my dream job has always been to become an anesthesiologist! I love learning about how medicine influences individual’s lives globally. Other passions I have are baking pastries, listening to pop or jazz music, and watching romcoms. I hope you enjoy reading this blog, as much as I enjoyed researching and writing about this topic :)

Sources: 

American Society of Anesthesiologists. “Anesthesia Workforce Shortage Poses Threat to Health Care.” Www.asahq.org, 17 June 2024, www.asahq.org/about-asa/newsroom/news-releases/2024/06/anesthesia-workforce-shortage-poses-threat-to-health-care. 

Dubowitz, Gerald, et al. “Global Anesthesia Workforce Crisis: A Preliminary Survey Revealing Shortages Contributing to Undesirable Outcomes and Unsafe Practices.” World Journal of Surgery, vol. 34, no. 3, 1 Oct. 2009, pp. 438–444, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00268-009-0229-6. 

“WFSA - World Federation of Societies of Anesthesiologists.” WFSA, wfsahq.org/. 

Biccard, Bruce M, et al. “Enhanced Postoperative Surveillance versus Standard of Care to Reduce Mortality among Adult Surgical Patients in Africa (ASOS-2): A Cluster-Randomised Controlled Trial.” The Lancet Global Health, vol. 9, no. 10, Oct. 2021, pp. e1391–e1401, https://doi.org/10.1016/s2214-109x(21)00291-6. 

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