News

Mother’s relief as daughter given life-saving surgery by charity Mercy Ships

A mother who lived in fear her daughter’s fast-growing tumor would suffocate her is rejoicing after a surgical charity gave her daughter life-saving surgery. Without a single maxillofacial surgeon in her home country of Sierra Leone, Yei had no one who could treat her daughter. While she was pregnant, Yei had no ultrasound, and no reason to think her baby would be born anything but healthy. When she first saw the lump on her baby’s face and neck at birth, she felt devastated.

Unleashing the Power of Partnerships to Transform Healthcare in Africa

News

In the realm of medicine, there are pivotal moments that can forever change lives. For me, that transformative moment occurred two decades ago when my path intersected with medical mission teams in our country, including Mercy Ships, an organisation committed to delivering life-changing surgeries to those who need it most. Witnessing their surgical interventions and the profound impact on people’s lives ignited my passion to become a surgeon. I realised that the human body’s needs transcend borders and the Gambian people deserved access to quality surgical care.

Guinea’s only dental school expanding in pioneering educational project to transform access to quality care

News, Press release

CONAKRY GUINEA – 6 November 2023 - The critical need to give the people of Guinea access to quality dental care is taking a major step forward with the expansion of the country’s only dental school.

Woman reunited with the nurse who helped save her life 30 years ago

News, Press release

FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE, OCTOBER 1, 2023 – A woman was this week reunited with a nurse who saved her life 30 years ago as she volunteers for the same charity that her rescuers were from.

Ministry of Health confirms Africa Mercy’s® return to Madagascar in 2024

News, Press release

ANTANARIVO, MADAGASCAR, SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 – Recent meetings between the Ministry of Health and Mercy Ships have furthered planning for the hospital ship Africa Mercy® to return to Madagascar in early February. Initially, Mercy Ships plans to dock the 16, 572 GT Africa Mercy in the port of Toamasina. During the field service, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the ship’s medical professionals, and teams will aim to provide more than 1,150 free specialized surgeries as well as targeted training for healthcare professionals. Mercy Ships has already embarked on the beginning of a 5-year country engagement plan that further strengthens the partnership between Mercy Ships and the people of Madagascar, with the development of local partners, and completion of an initial programmatic assessment.

Father is first patient in Sierra Leone to receive life transforming surgery on board Mercy Ship

Press release

FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE, SEPTEMBER 13, 2023 – A 43-year-old man who feared he would have to live with a tumor on his face for life was the first patient to receive a life-changing surgery on board the world’s largest civilian hospital ship, the Global Mercy™ yesterday (Sept 12th) in the Port of Freetown, following the ship’s recent arrival. Father-of-one Emmanuel thought the small lump in his mouth was just toothache or a cold sore when he discovered it four years ago. But it continued to grow bigger on his lower face and medication did not stop it continuing to enlarge. He had resigned himself to living with the tumor forever but he constantly worried that it would burst and complicate his health. Yesterday, the Sierra Leonean who lives in Freetown became the first person to receive one of more than 2,350 surgeries planned for the Global Mercy’s 10-month stay in Freetown.

The Global Mercy™ arrives in Freetown, Sierra Leone to Bring Safe Surgery and Education

Blog, Blog, News

On August 22, a long-awaited day of hope arrived as the Global Mercy™ sailed into the port of Freetown, Sierra Leone. It was a moment more than 30 years in the making. The start of this field service marks the next chapter in a three-decade partnership between Mercy Ships and Sierra Leone, meaning the floating hospital ship’s arrival wasn’t a greeting – it was a homecoming.

Sierra Leoneans Welcome Newest Mercy Ship, the Global Mercy™ into Port of Freetown

Press release

FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE, 22 AUGUST 2023 - In response to an invitation from H.E. President Julius Maada Bio, Freetown has welcomed a Mercy Ships hospital ship, marking the sixth instance of the collaboration between Mercy Ships and the government of Sierra Leone. This time it is the Global Mercy™ the world’s largest non-governmental hospital ship, which has docked at the Queen Elizabeth II Quay. For the next ten months, Mercy Ships’ newest state-of-the-art hospital ship will partner with the Ministry of Health to provide free specialized surgeries to Sierra Leoneans and targeted training for healthcare professionals until June 2024. Mercy Ships’ programme strategy has been carefully aligned with the country’s current strategic healthcare plan.

Sierra Leone’s Journey for Better Health: Overcoming Obstacles and Embracing Partnerships

Blog, Blog, News

For those of us on the ground in Sierra Leone, the challenges we face daily in providing healthcare services underscore the grave disparities present across the various corners of our planet when it comes to our ability, or lack thereof, to heal. In Sierra Leone, the most dramatic example of the challenges we face is the severe lack of qualified professionals equipped to handle our nation's diverse and growing healthcare needs, particularly in relation to surgical care.