Globally, 5 billion people lack access to safe, affordable surgical care. In many low-income settings, like Robeson County, 9 in every 10 people often go without access to basic surgical needs. In Robeson, over 27% of the population live at, or under, the poverty line; and almost 20% of the population live without health insurance. As a result, the people of Robeson County face barriers to accessing basic surgical care that they need. Oftentimes, members of the community travel hundreds of miles, whether out of necessity or preference, to reach quality surgical care. These challenges of access to surgical care have led to adverse surgical outcomes amongst the general population, ultimately putting a strain on the county’s entire health system. 

Our team's objective is to define the burden of surgical disease and assess the perceived barriers to surgical care amongst the entire population. We will also carefully examine the potentiality of adverse surgical outcomes disproportionately affecting minoritized and marginalized communities.

Through a community-engaged approach, and qualitative interviews guided by the "three delays model", we aim to uncover how historical and social contexts may contribute to delays and barriers to surgical care, as well as adverse surgical outcomes.