"Working Toward Safe, Effective Anesthesia Worldwide"

Sample Photo
Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center in Moshi
ASA members travel to Tanzania, Africa to help those in need. »
Unsafe surgery leaves millions dead or disabled yearly across the world. The Lifebox initiative ensures every operating theatre across the globe has a pulse oximeter and abides by the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist.
Atul Gawande, M.D., M.Ph.
Co-Founder of Lifebox
GHO Committee

There is an anesthesia crisis in low-income countries around the world. Most of them have fewer than 1 physician per 10,000 people-and fewer than 1 anesthesiologist per 100,000 people. A recent Lancet article concludes:

2 billion People without access to emergency and essential surgery worldwide.
34 million anesthetics are delivered annually without pulse oximetry (or oxygen or a trained provider).

Even where nurse and technical anesthesia providers exist, the lack of physician anesthesia expertise means higher education is limited and the level of care is compromised. These countries need swift and substantial action to address this global health crisis. By providing safe anesthesia for surgery, labor and delivery and other procedures, by providing acute and chronic pain relief strategies, and by providing the highest level of intensive care available, these populations can experience increased longevity, improved maternal mortality rates, and higher survival rates from trauma and other emergencies which threaten health.

The ASA Committee on Global Humanitarian Outreach is addressing this crisis through:

  • Encouraging volunteerism and providing opportunities with reputable aid and mission organizations
  • Supporting anesthesia education and training in low and middle income countries
  • Advocating for long term academic partnership with hospitals and universities in countries of need
  • Providing for collaboration of organizations, institutions and initiatives with common missions and philosophies

Anesthesiologists Worldwide

United States of America

1 Anesthesiologists for every 260 Patients (Number of Patients: 13.7 Million).

Republic of Ghana

1 Anesthesiologists for every 55,000 Patients (Number of Patients: 3.5 Million).

Donate Through Lifebox 

Lifebox is a not-for-profit organization saving lives by improving the safety and quality of surgical care in low-resource countries.

GHO Alerts

February 1, 2012

Anesthesiologists Needed to Join an Orthopedic Surgery Mission to Port au Prince, Haiti

April 29, 2012 - May 6, 2012

January 10, 2012

Operation Rainbow One Week Mission to Loja, Ecuador, June 8-16, 2012

Anesthesiologists needed to join an orthopedic surgery mission to Loja, Ecuador with Operation Rainbow, June 8-16, 2012.  Operation Rainbow (www.operationrainbow.org) is a non-denominational, nonprofit, non-governmental organization dedicated to performing free orthopedic surgery for indigent children and young adults in developing countries worldwide who do not have ready access to specialized orthopedic care.

December 19, 2011

Anesthesiologist Dr. Phillip Bridenbaugh Earns ASA Humanitarian Award

The American Society of Anesthesiologists has bestowed the first annual Nicholas Greene Humanitarian Award to Phillip Bridenbaugh, M.D., professor emeritus and former chair of University of Cincinnati's department of anesthesiology.

Disaster Relief Alerts

Haiti Relief

In January 2010, reports came into the United States of thousands dead and millions more in need of medical treatment. ASA took immediate action to assist those in need.

Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief 

Information and tips on assisting in the Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami relief efforts.