Successful outreach!

The Africa Mercy has now completed her second field service in Madagascar and is presently under maintenance in Durban. In early August the ship will sail to Benin to commence a 10-month field-service.

During the recent field service in Madagascar (July 2015 to May 2016) the following was achieved:

• 917 maxillofacial Surgeries
• 473 Women’s Health Surgeries
• 238 Plastic Surgeries
• 817 General Surgeries
• 162 Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeries
• Over 12,000 Dental patients including 1319 dental hygienist interactions
• 1000s trained and mentored in ways that will enhance their ability to provide safe surgical care to thousands more.
• A surgical clinic was renovated and filled with expertly trained Malagasy nurses who will go on to treat some of the 2,000 new cases of obstetric fistula that will form in the coming year. This is now being operated by another charity Freedom from Fistula

Madagascar’s population is one of the poorest globally and there are approximately 15,000 children and adults disabled from clubfoot, with an estimated 1,000 children born here with the condition each year. The cost of treatment is often prohibitive for many families with an average income.  Mercy Ships has been a part of Tamatave’s first ever clubfoot clinic –  and with the support of International NGO, Miraclefeet, the work will go on for years to come.
 
Behind these statistics are people.  medical personnel, cooks and cleaners, deck crew and engineers and a myriad of other support staff who keep the ship operating so that Mercy Ships can fulfil its mission of “following the 2000 year old model of Jesus, bringing hope and healing to the world’s forgotten poor.” They are volunteers who pay their travel costs and also pay to live aboard. And of course there are the patients whose receive treatment ...  and there are our wonderful supporters!  We cannot do it without them.