Open abdominal wall defects and open spina bifida at a regional hospital in northern KwaZulu-Natal – bellwether conditions for neonatal surgery capacity

Abdominal wall defects (AWDs), such as gastroschisis and omphalocele, and neural tube defects (NTDs) such as open spina bifida (SB) are common congenital anomalies. These anomalies are considered a leading cause of neonatal mortality and have been advocated as bellwether conditions to measure access to surgical care.