The Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland and Global Health

The Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland (AAGBI) is a specialist society of over 10,000 members. It has promoted Global Health issues for many years through support for education, research and the provision of safe anaesthesia in low-income countries.

The International Relations Committee of the AAGBI is chaired by Dr Paul Clyburn and co-ordinates most of our international work. The Overseas Anaesthesia Fund (OAF) is part of the charitable AAGBI Foundation and is a means by which AAGBI members can make personal donations to international work.

A summary of current activities:

• Global Pulse Oximetry Project. The AAGBI is a founding partner in the Global Pulse Oximetry Project, which aims to link procurement of pulse oximeters with adoption of the principles of Safe Surgery to improve anaesthesia and surgical safety on a global scale. The high-quality ‘Lifebox’ oximeter will be available for purchase or donation at low-cost ($250 including delivery) to hospitals in low- and middle-income countries (www.lifebox.org). This project is led by Dr Atul Gawande in partnership with the Harvard School of Public Health, Smile Train, and the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WFSA). Educational material has been developed in partnership with the World Health Organisation.
• AAGBI supports 15 Post Graduate Anaesthesia Fellows in Uganda by providing support for university tuition fees and living allowances. The AAGBI organises this scheme in partnership with Global Partners in Anaesthesia and Surgery (University of California San Francisco), and co-ordinates contributions from three other UK specialist anaesthesia societies.
• Book distribution. During the last 5 years the AAGBI has sourced more than 19,000 books for donation to individual anaesthetists, national anaesthesia societies and anaesthesia training schools. Negotiations with publishers have allowed OAF to purchase UK books at considerably reduced cost, and to distribute books printed in India.
• CDROMS. We have produced and donated more than 20,000 CDROMS of anaesthesia educational material.
• Journal distribution. AAGBI has supported the WFSA in the production of special editions of the WFSA journal Update in Anaesthesia.
• Travel grants to support AAGBI members to travel to low-income countries, in recent years including Benin, Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Tanzania and Uganda. Grants vary between £250 - £3000, depending on the duration and purpose of the visit. The AAGBI Uganda fellows have been sponsored to visit important CME meetings such as the recent All Africa Anaesthesia conference and to present research at the AAGBI Annual Scientific meeting.
• Training Courses. AAGBI has sponsored or supported anaesthesia refresher courses, recently in Benin, Cameroon, Fiji, Liberia, Uganda and Ukraine.
• Medical students travel grants are awarded up to £500 – often for electives in poorer parts of the world.
• Research. Small grants are made available to support members with projects relating to global health. See publications below.

Recent publications relating to anaesthesia and global health (includes 2007 supplement to Anaesthesia, commissioned and supported by the AAGBI)

1. Walker IA, Obua AD, Mouton F, Ttendo S, Wilson IH. Paediatric surgery and anaesthesia in south-western Uganda: a cross-sectional survey. Bull World Health Organ. 2010 Dec 1;88(12):897-906
2. Duke T, Graham SM, Cherian MN, Ginsburg AS, English M, Howie S, Peel D, Enarson PM, Wilson IH, Were W; Union Oxygen Systems Working Group. Oxygen is an essential medicine: a call for international action. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2010 Nov;14(11):1362-8
3. Merry AF, Cooper JB, Soyannwo O, Wilson IH, Eichhorn JH. International Standards for a Safe Practice of Anesthesia 2010. Can J Anaesth. 2010 Nov;57(11):1027-34.
4. Funk LM, Weiser TG, Berry WR, Lipsitz SR, Merry AF, Enright AC, Wilson IH, Dziekan G, Gawande AA. Global operating theatre distribution and pulse oximetry supply: an estimation from reported data. Lancet. 2010 Sep 25;376(9746):1055-61
5. Walker IA, Merry AF, Wilson IH, McHugh GA, O'Sullivan E, Thoms GM, Nuevo F, Whitaker DK; GO Project teams. Global oximetry: an international anaesthesia quality improvement project. Anaesthesia. 2009 Oct;64(10):1051-60
6. Walker IA, Morton NS Pediatric healthcare--the role for anesthesia and critical care services in the developing world. Paediatr Anaesth. 2009 Jan;19(1):1-4
7. Walker IA, Wilson IH. Anaesthesia in developing countries--a risk for patients. Lancet. 2008 Mar 22;371(9617):968-9.
8. Hodges SC, Mijumbi C, Okello M, McCormick BA, Walker IA, Wilson IH Anaesthesia services in developing countries: defining the problems. Anaesthesia. 2007 Jan;62(1):4-11
9. Walker IA, Wilson IH, Bogod
D Anaesthesia in Developing Countries Anaesthesia 2007 62 s1: 2-3
10. Tumwebaze J Lamula's story. Anaesthesia 2007 62 s1: 4
11. Nambiar B, Lewycka S, Mwansambo C, Costello A. Planning health care in developing countries Anaesthesia 2007 62 s1: 5-10
12. Tyson S, Gordon M. United Kingdom government aid. Anaesthesia 2007 62 s1: 11-14
13. Parry EHO, Percy DB. Anaesthesia and hospital links: strengthening healthcare through South-North hospital partnerships. Anaesthesia 2007 62 s1: 15-20
14. Clyburn P, Morris S, and Hall J. Anaesthesia and safe motherhood. Anaesthesia 2007 62 s1: 21-25
15. Hodges SC, Walker IA and Bösenberg AT. Paediatric anaesthesia in developing countries. Anaesthesia 2007 62 s1: 26-31\
16. Towey RM and Ojara S. 
 Intensive care in the developing world. Anaesthesia 2007 62 s1: 32-37
17. Size M, Soyannwo OA and Justins DM Pain manage,ent in developing countries. Anaesthesia 2007 62 s1: 38-43
18. Schnittger T. 
 Regional anaesthesia in developing countries. Anaesthesia 2007 62 s1: 44-47
19. Craven R. Ketamine. Anaesthesia 2007 62 s1: 48-53
20. McCormick BA, Eltringham
RJ. Anaesthesia equipment for resource-poor environments. Anaesthesia 2007 62 s1: 54-60
21. Wilkinson D, McDougall R. 



Primary Trauma Care. Anaesthesia 2007 62 s1: 61-64
22. Cherian MN, Merry AF, Wilson IH. The World Health Organization and Anaesthesia. Anaesthesia 2007 62 s1: 65-66
23. Enright A, Wilson IH, Moyers JR. The World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists: supporting education in the developing world. Anaesthesia 2007 62 s1: 67-71
24. H. Aitken H, and O'Sullivan E. 
The International Relations Committee of the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland. Anaesthesia 2007 62 s1: 72-74
25. Thoms GMM, McHugh GM, O'Sullivan E. 
The Global Oximetry Initiative. Anaesthesia 2007 62 s1: 75-77
26. Frossard J and Bojarska A. Employment opportunities with international agencies, mission organisations and government hospitals. Anaesthesia 2007 62 s1: 78-83
27. Wright IG, Walker IA and Yacoub MH. Specialist surgery in the developing world: luxury or necessity? Anaesthesia 2007 62 s1: 84-89
28. Gatrad AR, Gatrad S and Gatrad A. 
Equipment donation to developing countries. Anaesthesia 2007 62 s1: 90-95
29. Dobson M Training the trainers. Anaesthesia 2007 62 s1: 96-102
30. Stevenson C Educational resources: website and book review. Anaesthesia 2007 62 s1: 103-107
31. Morris S, Clyburn P, Harries S, Rees L, Sewell J, Hall J. 
Mothers of Africa – an anaesthesia charity. Anaesthesia 2007 62 s1: 108-112
32. Henderson K. Lessons from working overseas. Anaesthesia 2007 62 s1: 113-117
33. GumJ. How I became an anaesthetist. Anaesthesia 2007 62 s1: 118-119