In May 2024, community leaders and dignitaries gathered on board the Africa Mercy® in the port of Toamasina, Madagascar, to celebrate the beginning of surgeries on the hospital ship.
The ship arrived in Madagascar in February, ready to bring transformative surgical education and free, life-changing surgical care. The crew immediately began implementing an extensive strategy to ensure the ship’s services cover diverse regions of the country. Patient registration events spanned 12 locations in Madagascar, in line with the Ministry of Health’s objective to serve patients nationwide.
During this field service, Mercy Ships is partnering with Madagascar’s Ministry of Health to identify the most pressing needs and strengthen the country’s surgical systems in the long term. Through the Education, Training, and Advocacy strategy, the organization aims to increase the number of surgical providers, provide training across the surgical ecosystem, develop sustainable educational programs, and advocate for the importance of surgery in healthcare globally.
The hospital ship’s arrival to the island nation builds on a longstanding collaboration between Mercy Ships and Madagascar, marking the fourth visit since 1996. During the coming field service, Mercy Ships volunteer medical crew will provide more than 1,000 specialized surgeries in various fields, including maxillofacial and ear nose and throat, general, pediatric specialized general, pediatric orthopedic, cataract surgery, and reconstructive plastics, and ophthalmology.
