Safe Surgery Saves Lives

Key elements of our work have included introduction of the WHO Safe Surgery Checklist, improved infection, prevention and control practices (including new autoclaves), and better patient monitoring.

This video showcases some of the Safe Surgery programme's activities to date, and the challenges that remain.

Next phase of the Safe Surgery programme

In November 2024 we launched a new phase of the Safe Surgery programme. With the support of EKFS and DAK international, this new programme will work to reduce surgical site infection in two target facilities, whilst continuing to support the provincial and national healthcare system.

A key component of this next phase will be improving the knowledge, skills and confidence of health workers in safe surgery. In the first phase of the programme, a cohort of health workers - nurses, doctors, anaesthesia care providers - across the province, were trained in the WHO Safe Surgery Saves Lives initiative, and took part in a mentorship programme.

During this new phase of work, we will support the current trainers to deliver refresher training, and we will work with a leading nursing school in the province to update the surgical nursing curriculum, and support teaching of the new material for all nursing students. We will also develop and pilot a postgraduate diploma in peri-operative care, working with the Ministry of Health to have this nationally accredited.

Get Involved

We have established a Surgical Site Infection working group — a multidisciplinary team of NHS health workers to provide expert support to the programme. If you are an operating department room practitioner, pharmacist, surgical nurse, surgeon, microbiologist, infectious diseases consultant with an interest in safe surgery, surgical site infection and antimicrobial stewardship, get in touch to find out more about joining our technical working group.

We are also looking for a surgical nurse educator to support the development of the surgical nursing curriculum and a postgraduate diploma in surgical nursing. For further information on applying, download the Terms of Reference.