Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Currently 1.7 billion children lack access to surgical care globally, including roughly 90% of African children, resulting in a high surgical disease burden. Gender inequity has negatively impacted females, and has resulted in documented poor surgical outcomes for women. Our recent work revealed first-time evidence that in African children, with diseases that equally affect boys and girls, surgery was performed 3.6 times more often on boys, while girls died 1.6 times more often. The current phase of research seeks to explore this issue more deeply, by exploring African and Canadian customs and perspectives on children's access to surgery and postoperative outcomes. To do this, I will conduct a systematic review to examine whether there are gender disparities in Canadian children's surgical access/outcomes, and compare findings to the African results stated above. Then, I will perform an onsite study across Canada and four African countries, with the help of local partners. It will involve speaking with a variety of people: community leaders, traditional healers, hospital administrators, staff, doctors, nurses, parents, caregivers, current and former patients, in one-on-one interviews, and small group discussions. As a result, the opinions and beliefs of children, families, and their communities, regarding equal surgical care for children, the factors causing gender disparities, and possible solutions, will be highlighted. This will raise awareness, guide the development of culturally sensitive initiatives to reduce this problem, and improve children's lives in the long term.