Last month, 40 African Health Ministers signed important agreements at the Pan-African Surgical Healthcare Forum (PASHeF) in Rwanda. These agreements are a big step towards making surgical care accessible to more people across Africa. In the near future, the goal is to have these formally adopted by the African Union (UA). This journey is one that Mercy Ships, the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE), the Rwanda Ministry of Health, and Smile Train walked together – to support and host this recent PASHeF meeting. Dr. Walt Johnson shares his thoughts on why these efforts are so important and why collaboration is vital for saving lives.  

The moment a seven-year-old boy sees clearly for the first time has been captured in a video by the charity that gave him surgery.  Surgeons from international charity Mercy Ships believe Mamadou, who lives in Sierra Leone, would have lost his sight entirely if he had not had his bilateral cataracts removed. 

Just days away from the opening of a new training facility at Guinea’s only dental school on September 25th that will more than double its capacity, Dr. David Ugai reflects on the transformative journey he and the Université Gamal Abdel Nasser of Conakry have embarked upon together, and the power of collaboration