The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Department of Emergency Medicine and Institute for Global Health Sciences have been designated as a Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO)/World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Emergency, Critical and Operative Care.
The multidisciplinary team consisting of members from several departments at UCSF, including trauma surgery, pediatric surgery, critical care, pediatric critical care, anesthesia, global nursing and emergency medicine, has a track record of practical research and life-saving innovation. Drawing on the expertise of this diverse group, the UCSF team is optimally positioned to support WHO’s efforts in ECO care.
Purpose
The purpose of UCSF WHO Collaborating Centre for Emergency, Critical and Operative Care is to contribute to global efforts to develop, implement, and evaluate tools to help strengthen care systems worldwide.
Goal
The goal of the Collaborating Centre is to support the work of WHO to improve access to timely and effective care for those suffering potentially life- or livelihood-threatening, time-sensitive conditions.
Did You Know?
- Over 90% of deaths globally are due to an emergency condition. An estimated 54% of deaths in low- and middle-income countries could be addressed with strong pre-hospital and emergency care systems (Moresky et al).
- Surgery and perioperative care have been neglected in global health despite evidence of cost-effectiveness and the increasing, substantial burden of surgical disease. Surgical conditions account for nearly 11% of the global burden of disease and are projected to increase, with the disease burden from injuries alone surpassing that of all infectious diseases by 2030 (Lipnick et al).