Mercy Ships Canada Provides Free Healthcare to People in Great Need
Those stats are tough to read.
We believe that the humanitarian work we offer by bringing hospital ships directly to Africa can turn things around.
Our Approach to Healthcare Development

- Respect. In delivering direct medical services, we are committed to serving the patients and their families.
- Equality. We treat every patient equally despite gender, race or age.
- Comprehensive. Treatment services are wide-ranging and include women’s health, various surgical procedures, maxillofacial surgery, pediatric orthopedic surgery, dental, and eye care.
- Sustainable. Education, Training and Advocacy program provides training opportunities for doctors and health professionals to strengthen health care systems.
- Collaborative. When invited, we develop customized partnerships with every nation we serve.
- Community Engagement. To help patients and their families to return to school, work and to be able to support the entire family.
Mercy Ships Canada Projects
Medical Waste Converter
Contributing to medical infrastructure is an essential part of Mercy Ships Canada’s work. For example, the Canadian project will allow medical waste to be safely handled through existing waste collection systems after processing in Senegal.
Nurse Anesthesia
Gamal University’s teaching program for nurse anesthesia students by providing supplies and materials and instructor’s credentials are enhanced.
HOPE Centre
The HOPE Centre frees up precious bed space in the hospital wards on the ship and allows optimization of the ship’s surgical capacity.
Hospital Chaplaincy
Hospital Chaplaincy provides holistic care to patients by focusing on their spiritual, psychological, social, emotional and physical needs.
Sterile Processing
Preventing surgical infection through sterile processing training. We seek to improve sterile processing practices in the countries Mercy Ships serves.
Mercy Ships Canada’s Humanitarian Work at a Glance
Hospital Ship Medical Services to Patients and Their Families
Women’s Health
Support and medical care is provided for women who have suffered childbirth injuries. We provide extremely specialized surgery, continuing the recovery process through education and social activities.
Maxillofacial Surgery
Through corrective and reconstructive maxillofacial surgeries, our surgeons relieve deformities caused by physical conditions such as tumours, cleft lip, cleft palate and noma.
Plastic Reconstructive Surgery
Birth defects, burns and illness often cause deformities we correct through surgeries; including burn-scar contractures, benign tumours, chronic ulcers, combined fingers and many others.
Orthopaedic Program
Mercy Ships trains local surgeons in Ponseti casting, the “universal standard” in non-invasive clubfoot correction, and provides free surgical intervention for musculoskeletal conditions, neglected orthopedic trauma and joint diseases.
Palliative Care
Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the difficulties associated with life-threatening illness.
General Surgery
Our surgeons reduce the effects of neglected trauma, disease and congenital conditions by providing general surgeries for conditions such as hernias and goiters.
Dental/Oral Health
Mercy Ships aims to prevent and reduce the effects of a lack of oral healthcare by providing dental treatment and dental hygiene education and training.
Eye Care
Addresses surgical and medical eye needs in environments where preventable blindness is widespread. The primary emphasis of surgical intervention is to reduce blindness as a result of cataracts.
Education, Training and Advocacy
Bringing Hope and Healing to Providers and Health Systems
Training and Capacity Building
Mercy Ships works with partners to develop training and capacity building projects that improve the quality of medical services in the nations we serve.
Agriculture Training
Mercy Ships has been implementing Food for Life programs since 1997. Food for Life projects have been impacting lives and training people how to produce nutritional food and crops sustainably.
The Difference Makers
The real change comes when we all work together.
Become a difference-maker.
Your contribution can give someone the healthcare they need and deserve.