AUDA-NEPAD, Mercy Ships partner to improve surgical care in Africa

UAE—The African Union Development Agency–New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) and Mercy Ships have announced a groundbreaking partnership to improve surgical care across the continent.

This historic agreement was revealed in December at the 2024 World Policy Conference in Abu Dhabi, when a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the two organizations.

The partnership comes at a critical time, as Africa faces a pressing need for quality surgical care.

Approximately 93% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa lacks access to timely and affordable surgical services, contributing to significant health disparities.

This collaboration seeks to address these challenges by combining AUDA-NEPAD’s expertise in strengthening health systems with Mercy Ships’ vast experience in providing surgical care and building local healthcare capacities.

The goal of this partnership is to ensure that underserved communities across Africa receive safe, high-quality surgical care.

Through this collaboration, AUDA-NEPAD will focus on fortifying health systems, while Mercy Ships will bring its expertise in delivering on-the-ground surgical services and training.

Together, the organizations aim to make a lasting impact by improving healthcare systems and providing essential surgical services to millions of people in need.

Mrs. Nardos Bekele-Thomas, CEO of AUDA-NEPAD, expressed her enthusiasm about the partnership, noting that this MoU represents a major step toward addressing Africa’s critical surgical care gaps.

She emphasized that the partnership is well-positioned to transform healthcare delivery across the continent by merging AUDA-NEPAD’s health system strengthening capabilities with Mercy Ships’ surgical services experience.

The initiative will focus on several key areas: strengthening health systems by advancing policies for sustainable surgical care, training healthcare professionals, attracting investments for improved infrastructure, and supporting local production of essential medical supplies.

Additionally, public awareness campaigns will highlight the importance of surgical care in national health agendas.

Dr. Juliette Tuakli, Mercy Ships Africa Ambassador, added that the partnership with AUDA-NEPAD is a powerful way to bring hope and healing to millions of people across Africa.

She emphasized that together, the two organizations can bridge the gap in surgical care and create long-term, sustainable healthcare solutions.

This partnership aligns with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3, which aims to ensure health and well-being for all.

 A Joint Action Plan will guide the collaboration, with clear goals and timelines to achieve the desired outcomes.

This partnership is a critical step toward achieving universal health coverage and equitable access to life-saving surgical care across Africa.

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