Founded in 1978, the Mercy Ships organization sends floating hospitals to the far reaches of the globe to provide state-of-the-art, free medical services to people who otherwise lack access to safe, affordable surgical care. More than 50% of the world’s population lives within a 100-mile range of the coast. These modern hospital ships sail with a crew of hundreds and while in port (approximately 10 months), offer medical care so desperately needed by the citizens of the country.

Founded in 1978, the Mercy Ships organization sends floating hospitals to the far reaches of the globe to provide state-of-the-art, free medical services to people who otherwise lack access to safe, affordable surgical care. More than 50% of the world’s population lives within a 100-mile range of the coast.

For over 40 years, the mission of Mercy Ships has been to deliver free, world-class medical care to populations in the developing world who would otherwise have no access to much-needed surgery.  More than 40% of the world’s population lives within 100 kilometers of a coast so the ships are the best way to reach the most people and make the biggest impact. The ships have visited dozens of developing countries, provided services valued at well over a billion dollars, and have impacted more than 2.8 million people.