Today I’m heading to Kigali, Rwanda, where bigger than 400 leading world teachers, policymakers, and healthcare experts will win on the Pan-African Surgical Convention to address a indispensable world health snarl: bringing get admission to to complete surgical care nearer to patients’ homes.
This indispensable gathering has me reflecting on a outing I took with my husband, plastic surgeon Bill Magee, bigger than 40 years up to now to the Philippines to relieve young of us in need of lifestyles-changing surgical procedures. We dreamed of using our healthcare experience to bring unique smiles to young of us who wished cleft lip and palate surgical procedures. We operated on 40 young of us however had to shrink again 300 extra. The need used to be overwhelming—not appropriate for cleft care, however all surgical procedures in the Philippines and dozens of a bunch of international locations worldwide.
We furthermore realized that in many locations, there used to be an absence of skilled physicians, nurses, equipment, and infrastructure, not appropriate for cleft care however for staunch surgical procedures of all forms. What began with a child with a cleft situation led us to a community, which showed us the need for a motion. That moment sparked Operation Smile, which used to be founded on the belief that ought to you seek a necessity, you take motion toward addressing that need.
Today, we include helped over 400,000 patients worldwide with surgical care, while supporting thousands extra who got free complete care services. What began in a village in the Philippines has grow to be a world group that works permanently in 37 international locations.
Nonetheless the need is mute so enormous. Worldwide over 5 billion of us—bigger than two-thirds of the sector’s population—lack get admission to to staunch, cheap surgical plan.
Accurate alternate happens when care is local. That’s the reason we include evolved our approach to focus on coaching and equipping in-country surgeons and medical groups to snarl lifestyles-saving procedures of their communities.
We work closely with local medical leaders, health ministries, universities, accrediting establishments, NGOs, and world organizations. We hear to our in-country experts, toughen them, and be taught from them to pressure impact.
In Africa we feature in 12 international locations, working with top surgical and anesthesiology establishments to get a sustainable team. Our work in Africa began in Kenya in 1987, and in 2025, we’re expanding to Tanzania. Our key partners—COSECSA, CANECSA, the American Heart Affiliation, and the World Federation Society of Anesthesia—relieve us put together and equip Africa’s next period of surgeons and anesthesiologists.
In Rwanda, a nation of 13 million, there were appropriate two plastic surgeons when our work there began. Families searching for out cleft surgical plan traveled hundreds of miles—only to be modified into away. To alternate this, we partnered with the Rwandan govt, introducing a hub-and-spoke mannequin that trains health workers in the community. Today, Rwanda is scaling this mannequin nationwide, and we’re proud to toughen this effort alongside the Rwanda Surgical Society, the College of Rwanda, and the Rwandan Ministry of Effectively being.
Our impact is real: from two plastic surgeons to fair about two dozen, and from one country to a continent-wide motion. Across Africa, 55 universities and establishments are coaching the next period of surgeons, decentralizing care, and lowering fees for patients.
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This work is bigger than surgical plan—it is a ways a system alternate that can future-proof get admission to to surgical plan. By strengthening local experience, lowering reliance on out-of-country medical toughen, and equipping governments with real-time health data, we’re creating a sustainable future for surgical care in Africa.
At the Pan-African Surgical Convention in Kigali, world experts will near together to push this agenda forward. Greatest by bringing staunch, official surgical plan nearer to dwelling will we snarl hope, include a lengthy-lasting impact, and own obvious that no patient is left on the relieve of.
Kathy Magee is the co-founder, president, and CEO of Operation Smile and a registered nurse.
