The Global Mercy, a hospital ship built by the international NGO Mercy Ships in Spain (Naves de Esperanza) to provide surgical care to populations in need, has arrived in the port of Dakar, Senegal. During its stay in port, the crew of the 37,000-ton vessel will participate in a week of ceremonies and events to inaugurate the ship's service in Africa, hosted by His Excellency President Macky Sall. In addition, the medical crew will conduct training sessions on board during June, alongside the surgeries being performed on the Africa Mercy, which has been docked in the Autonomous Port of Dakar since February.
On Monday morning, May 30, His Excellency President Macky Sall will facilitate the adoption of the Dakar Declaration with invited heads of state aboard the Global Mercy™. This landmark agreement follows initial discussions at an International Symposium held in Senegal from May 4-6, 2022, where health ministers from 29 African nations met with scientific experts to outline their commitment to advancing access to surgical, obstetric, and anesthetic care in their countries. The declaration supports Sustainable Development Goal 3* and aims to accelerate action to prioritize safer surgery as a key component of healthcare delivery.
“Today, under the patronage of SE Macky Sall, we welcome the Global Mercy™ to Senegal. The largest civilian hospital ship ever built joins the Africa Mercy® to celebrate 30 years of service for Ships of Hope in Africa, as well as the delivery of key medical training,” said Dr. Serigne Diop, Advisor to the President of Senegal.
“Mercy Ships serves the most vulnerable populations in Africa who lack access to safe, quality surgical care. To meet this need, we offer free surgical interventions and medical training, providing more than 108,000 surgical procedures since 1978,” stated Gert van de Weerdhof, CEO of Mercy Ships.
For more than three decades, Ships of Hope has contributed to the sustainable development of local surgical care across sub-Saharan Africa, where 93% of the population lacks access to safe surgical care. Marking its 30th anniversary in Africa this year, Ships of Hope is strengthening its partnerships with African countries and accelerating national commitments to increase access to safe surgical, obstetric, and anesthetic care in Africa by 2030, co-sponsoring a series of landmark events.
The Global Mercy™ is 174 meters long and 28.6 meters wide, with a capacity for 200 patients, six operating rooms, a laboratory, general outpatient clinics, a dental clinic, and an ophthalmology clinic. The hospital decks cover a total area of 7,000 square meters and feature state-of-the-art training facilities. When fully operational, the ship can accommodate up to 950 people while docked, including crew members and volunteers from around the world.
