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CC BY 4.0 · WFNS Journal 2025; 02(01): e103-e108
DOI: 10.1055/a-2713-5650
Original Article

The Future of Global Neurosurgery and the Peshawar Declaration

Authors

  • Tariq Khan

    1   Department of Neurosurgery, Northwest General Hospital and Research Center, Peshawar, Pakistan
    2   Northwest School of Medicine, Peshawar, Pakistan

  • Almas F. Khattak 

    2   Northwest School of Medicine, Peshawar, Pakistan
    3   Department of Community Medicine, Northwest School of Medicine, Peshawar, Pakistan

  • Kee B. Park

    4   Program of Global Surgery & Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States

  • Gail Rosseau

    5   Department of Neurosurgery, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
    6   Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona, United States
    7   The G4 Alliance Washington, DC, United States

  • Mustafa Qazi

    2   Northwest School of Medicine, Peshawar, Pakistan

  • Akif S. Khan 

    2   Northwest School of Medicine, Peshawar, Pakistan
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Abstract

Background

The Peshawar Declaration reinforces the critical need for equitable access to neurosurgical care, especially in the low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). With most of the people requiring neurosurgical care living in resource-constrained settings, the field faces significant challenges, such as a lack of trained neurosurgeons, poor infrastructure, and disparity in accessing care. The Peshawar Declaration presents a unified vision for addressing these gaps, building on previous efforts, including the Bogota Declaration (2016) and the establishment of the Global Neurosurgery Committee (2019).

Material and Methods

More than 800 people attended the Global Neurosurgery Conference 2024 in Peshawar, including neurosurgeons, policymakers, researchers, and patient advocates, to discuss the latest developments and challenges in neurosurgical care.

Results

The main outcome was the adoption of a unified definition of global neurosurgery encompassing both clinical practice and public health. The integration of neurosurgery into global health systems, capacity building, strategic partnerships, and the role of advocacy in policy formation were the key topics of debate. The declaration focused on national neurosurgical champions, task-sharing models, multidisciplinary collaboration, and young neurosurgeons' involvement in governance. For sustaining neurosurgical programs, the declaration calls for the development of advocacy toolkits, community-driven initiatives, and research-based residency tracks.

Conclusion

The Peshawar Declaration calls on policymakers, healthcare professionals, and global health organizations to work together to reiterate the commitment to timely, safe, and equitable global neurosurgical care. The declaration sets the stage for sustainable progress in global neurosurgery by fostering an inclusive and collaborative approach.

Keywords

global neurosurgery - Peshawar declaration - advancement - future


Publication History

Accepted Manuscript online:
30 September 2025

Article published online:
14 October 2025

© 2025. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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