Healthcare in Africa

Over the past three decades, the African continent has made steady progress in improving public health, despite disparities between regions, countries and within countries. Africa’s exponential economic growth and development, and the additional significant contribution of global health initiatives, have facilitated this progress. 

In Africa, some progress has been made in health, including a 37% decline in mortality rates between 2000 and 2015. However, Africa’s overall performance still lags in other health indicators. The continent does not yet appear to be on track to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3 “health for all and promotion of well-being for all at all ages”. 

Africa alone bears 25% of the global burden of disease and 1/3 of the world’s clinical conditions requiring emergency care and essential surgical, obstetric and anesthetic services (EESOACS). Africa, home to 17% of the world’s population, has only 2% of the world’s doctors and only 0.7 surgical specialists per 100,000 people. 

Every year, 16.9 million people worldwide die due to lack of access to surgical care and 93% of sub-Saharan Africa still lacks access. Surgery has been a neglected component of health care for people on the African continent. Equitable integration of surgical and anesthetic care remains the key challenge to strengthening health systems and achieving universal health coverage in Africa. 

Founded in 1978 by Deyon and Don Stephens, Mercy Ships is an international non-governmental organization that provides safe, quality surgical and medical care to the most vulnerable populations who have no or limited access. 

Since 1990, motivated by the values of excellence, integrity and love, Mercy Ships has been bringing hope and healing to the underprivileged people on the African continent. 

In order to promote surgery, a neglected specialty of the health systems, Mercy Ships has served fourteen African countries (Benin, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Republic of Congo, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Madagascar, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Togo). From 1990 to 2020, the NGO with its hospital ships “Anastasis” and “Africa Mercy” has carried out more than thirty humanitarian missions offering its services and equipment valued at more than 1.7 billion US dollars. It has performed more than 105,000 free surgeries, treated nearly 200,000 dental patients and trained more than 49,000 health professionals and community development workers. 

Mercy Ships programmes include (1) free maxillofacial, reconstructive, plastic, general, obstetric, ophthalmic, orthopedic and dental surgeries as well as palliative care (2) training, mentoring and capacity building of health professionals, operating room work, maintenance of medical and surgical equipment and nutrition, (3) renovation and equipping of health facilities. 

Mercy Ships is continually strengthening its partnerships with African countries and stakeholders in the African health sector to better serve the people. 

Following the signing of a long-term “Accord de Siege” cooperation agreement in September 2019, the Senegalese government and Mercy Ships have jointly implemented a 2019 – 2023 Country Engagement Plan to contribute to the second pillar of the “Plan Senegal Emergent”. It aims to promote the human capital with a significant improvement in the well-being of the population and a more sustained fight against social inequalities. The Government of Senegal and Mercy Ships share a common vision based on learning from the past to build a better future.  

As Mercy Ships celebrates its 30th anniversary in Africa (1990/91 -2021/22), the humanitarian organization wishes to take a further step in its engagement with its African partners.