Over 50% of the population lives within 100 miles of the coast. Many nations lack clean water, reliable electricity, medical facilities and personnel. Our ships deliver a state-of-the-art hospital to port cities, providing a controlled, safe and clean environment for patients—and volunteers.
Mercy Ships began sailing on our mission to provide hope and healing to the world’s forgotten poor in 1978. Each year, we’ve been able to reach more people to provide life-changing surgeries.
To date, we’ve been able to perform over 100,000 surgical procedures and provide training for thousands of local African healthcare professionals. Every port brings new challenges, new successes—and new lives transformed forever.