[6] On its upper decks,[7] the ship has accommodations for 484 crew members including families, couples and individuals.

[11] The operating rooms of the Africa Mercy are equipped for specific surgeries that are greatly needed in the countries that the ship visits.

[12] Conditions treated onboard the ship include head and neck tumors, goiters, hernias,[13] cleft lip and palate, cataracts, bowed legs (genu varum), club foot, burns and burn scars, childbirth injuries[14] and the gangrene-like childhood disease called noma.

[16] The surgical correction of their medical problems assists patients in reintegrating with their communities and resuming normal lives.

[17] On land, a screening clinic is set up to evaluate potential patients for surgeries, often in a large area like a sports arena.

Mercy Ships development teams collaborate with local leaders, governments, and the national ministries of health to evaluate healthcare infrastructure needs and design projects that support the surgical ecosystem in a partner hospital, or multiple hospitals.

The renovation of healthcare facilities is paired with medical professional mentoring and training courses, both on ship and in-country, designed to improve the quality of services across an entire hospital setting.

[12] Approximately 400 people live and work onboard the Africa Mercy during its field service period.

In addition to surgical and medical services, volunteers handle every task in the daily life of the ship, including crew operations, maintenance and repairs, cooking, housekeeping, childcare, teaching, and the Mercy Ships health education and infrastructure development projects that take place on land.

In addition, some crewmembers serve as permanent staff on board the ship for the entire 10 months of each field service.

During each field service, approximately 200 local employees from the present host nation also serve as day workers on the ship.

[20] In 2007, the ship made her official maiden voyage to Monrovia, Liberia, from the shipyard in England.

In 2009, the ship was docked in Cotonou, Benin from February to December, providing free surgeries and medical care.

[22][23] At the conclusion of each Field Service, the Africa Mercy goes in to dry dock, where it is resupplied and receives any needed repairs or upgrades before heading to her next port of call.