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Miriam Mutebi: Investing in African Surgical Research Is Investing in Lives

Miriam Mutebi/LinkedIn

Aug 17, 2025, 13:43

Miriam Mutebi: Investing in African Surgical Research Is Investing in Lives

Miriam Mutebi, Breast Surgical Oncologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at the Aga Khan University Hospital, shared a post on LinkedIn:

“Surgeons help to save lives in the OR. But the research we do before we operate can save millions more.

In Africa, surgical research turns ‘I think this will help’ into ‘This is saving lives.’

Every suture, every incision, every treatment plan in surgery is shaped by evidence.

Despite surgery being a key pillar of health systems (for instance, bof all cancer patients will require a surgical procedure), surgical care and research remain consistently underrepresented and underfunded

In our context, where diseases present differently, resources vary, and patient needs are unique, the evidence from ‘elsewhere’ isn’t always enough.

Without robust African-led surgical research, we risk borrowing solutions that don’t fit our realities.

And hence, with surgical research, we can:

Identify what truly works here.
Innovate around surgical care delivery
Build better surgical systems.
Train teams using locally relevant data.
Scale solutions that save lives beyond one hospital, city, or country.

This is why, at a deeply personal level, I am committed to advancing surgical research on the continent, not as an academic exercise, but as a direct investment in the patients we serve.

If you believe Africa deserves evidence tailored to its people, join me.

Share this message. Support a young researcher. Or fund a study.

Because when we invest in African surgical research, we invest in African lives for many years to come.”

Miriam Mutebi