Implementing and deploying an operating theatre in a backpack system to improve access to safe surgical care in austere settings

Worldwide, 5 billion people lack easy access to safe surgical facilities and, every year, 18 million people die from surgically-treatable conditions such as injuries, postpartum haemorrhage, or hernias. If this situation continues, deaths and disability will cost £15 trillion in lost GDP by 2030 (ref:Lancet). However, operating theatres need infrastructure: good roads, stable electrical grids, ventilation systems, and maintenance. Even when surgery is available, infections affect 1/4 to 2/3 of patients, tripling mortality risks and straining facilities with prolonged stays. SurgiBox focuses on the surgical microenvironment. Surgical teams seal a clear plastic bubble to the patient's skin and operate through ports. The bubble stays clean through a filtered laminar airflow system, and protects the teams from splatters - which infect 85,000 providers yearly. The system uses batteries and components that fit into a backpack. Wellcome Trust support would enable Team SurgiBox to complete development and production, and to reach patients.