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Mercy Ships has extended its partnership with the Government of Sierra Leone (GOSL), renewing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) through 2030 to provide medical training and capacity building.
The agreement, signed yesterday, strengthens the organization’s commitment to bolstering healthcare access and empowering the nation’s health system.
This extension builds on a previous five-year accord, which was set to expire in 2025, and will now run through 2030. The renewed agreement focuses on education and training initiatives for healthcare workers in collaboration with Sierra Leone’s universities and teaching hospitals.
Minister of Health Dr. Austin Demby emphasized the significance of the partnership:
“This collaboration has been transformative for our health sector. Extending this agreement to 2030 underscores the trust and impact Mercy Ships has made in training our professionals and improving access to healthcare.”
Mercy Ships’ floating hospital, which has been stationed in Sierra Leone, is currently completing its second year of service. Initially scheduled to remain until June 2024, the hospital’s stay was extended for another year through June 2025. This agreement does not mandate the ship’s continued presence in Sierra Leone beyond the previously extended timeline. Instead, it focuses on sustainable healthcare development through capacity building and training.
Over the past two years, Mercy Ships has provided free life-saving surgical services and state-of-the-art medical training for local healthcare professionals. Surgical procedures performed onboard the ship have addressed critical conditions such as cleft lip and palate repairs, orthopedic deformities, and other complex medical issues.
Clarification: Mercy ships had already completed a full year of service. The President asked for and Mercy Ships granted the extension for a second year that runs through June 2025. What we have now is an extension for a third year through June 2026.
In addition, Mercy Ships signed a 5-year accord with GOSL to provide training and capacity building through the country’s Universities and Teaching Hospitals. The current accord expires in 2025. The signing today extends this accord through 2030.
Dr. Austin Demby
Minister of Health SL