Two-thirds of the world’s population cannot get access to safe surgery when they need it. As a result, a staggering 16.9 million people around the world die every year from conditions requiring surgical care. It’s that unmet need that motivated Katie Henderson, a...

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Assiatou’s First Steps
Assiatou leaned forward gingerly, pressing her foot to the ground — heel first, then the sole, until even her toes were flat on the hospital floor. She shuffled forward carefully before a smile broke out across her face. It was only a tiny movement, but for the...
Heroes of Healthcare: Dr. David Ugai
“Every once in a while, my grandpa – a schoolteacher – would get a pliers and yank out someone’s aching tooth,” says Dr. David Ugai, recounting his grandparents’ experience as missionaries in present day Zimbabwe. “The funny thing is, my grandma never got gifts for...
Keeping Hope Alive: Eric’s Mercy Ships Story
Eric Diatta’s phone never stops ringing. On the other end of the line, it could be any one of the hundreds of Mercy Ships patients who have come to rely on him. Eric is from the southern part of Senegal and speaks five languages. In 2019, he met Mercy Ships Hospital...
How the Africa Mercy is Keeping Patients Safe
Anchored in the port of Dakar, Senegal, the Africa Mercy® and her crew are reuniting with their mission to bring hope and healing. After years of preparation during the COVID-19 pandemic, the volunteers on board could not be more ready to welcome patients back on...
The Africa Mercy Welcomes First Patients in Senegal
Two years ago, when the Africa Mercy® sailed from Senegal due to COVID-19, hundreds of patients were left still waiting for their chance for surgery. On February 1st, the ship returned to the port of Dakar to bring hope and healing to these patients and their...