Five billion people, two-thirds of the world, lack access to safe, affordable surgery when needed. No one should die of a difficult pregnancy, road traffic accident, cancer diagnosis, injury or heart attack because they live too far away from a hospital or cannot afford the surgery. Yet 17 million lives are lost to surgically-preventable conditions every year, while 4 million are lost to Malaria, TB and HIV/AIDS, combined. 2015 was a pivotal year for Global Surgery. The landmark Lancet Commission on Global Surgery report held surgically-treatable conditions accountable for 1/3 of global disease burden. The World Health Assembly recognised surgery as an essential component of healthcare, and surgery was prioritised in UN Sustainable Development Goal 3 for “good health and well-being”. Global Surgery needs surgeons, anaesthetists, obstetricians, but also economists, managers, technicians, engineers, statisticians, logisticians and innovators. How do we get surgery to 5 billion? Who can help and how? Why don’t we hear about Global Surgery?