Mercy Ships UK

Who we are

Mercy Ships is a faith-based international development organisation that deploys hospital ships to some of the poorest countries in the world, delivering vital, free healthcare to people in desperate need.

Worldwide, 5 billion people lack access to safe, affordable, timely surgery. Many of them live in developing countries where healthcare infrastructure is limited or nonexistent, or where there’s a shortage of trained healthcare providers.

Fortunately, more than 44% of the world’s population lives within 100 miles of a coast — which is why Mercy Ships uses modern hospital ships to bring world-class volunteer medical professionals directly to the places they’re needed most.

About our hospital ships

Since 1978, Mercy Ships has had one to three ships in service.

Currently, Mercy Ships operates two hospital ships. The Africa Mercy and the Global Mercy.

The Global Mercy is the largest charity-run hospital ship in the world. The 174-meter, 37,000-ton ship has six operating rooms and houses over 600 volunteers from around the globe representing many disciplines including surgeons, maritime crew, cooks, teachers, electricians, the host staff and more. The ship also features a 682-seat auditorium, student academy, café, shop and library – all of which have been designed to accommodate up to 950 crew onboard when docked in port.

The Africa Mercy contains five operating rooms, a four-bed recovery area, intensive care for up to five patients, and 80 ward beds. It houses about 400 volunteer crew members from up to 40 nations. Acquired in 1999 through a donation from the Balcraig Foundation, the former Danish rail ferry Dronning Ingrid was refurbished specifically for our mission and named the Africa Mercy in April 2000.

Our culture and values

As well as completing thousands of urgent operations onboard our floating hospitals, the Africa Mercy and the Global Mercy, Mercy Ships volunteers also work closely with host nations to improve the way healthcare is delivered across the country, by training and mentoring local medical staff, and renovating hospitals and clinics.

Founded in 1978 by Don and Deyon Stephens, Mercy Ships has worked in more than 55 countries, providing services valued at more than £1.3 billion. By improving healthcare delivery in every country it visits, Mercy Ships is working to eradicate the diseases of poverty and effectively do itself out of a job. Mercy Ships follows the model of Jesus by “bringing hope and healing to the forgotten poor”, helping people of all faiths and none.

Among the countries Mercy Ships serves, which lie on the lower third of the World Health Organisation’s Human Development Index, access to safe, affordable and timely surgery is extremely limited. As a result, countless people suffer and die from “diseases of poverty” that can easily be cured.