Mercy Ships is an international charity based non-governmental organization[1] that operates the largest non-governmental hospital ships in the world,[2] providing surgical care and surgical education in Africa, community development projects, community health education, mental health programs, agriculture projects, and palliative care for terminally ill patients.

[5] In 1983, the Anastasis (the Greek word for "resurrection") began operations in the South Pacific, then moved to Central America and the Caribbean Sea in the mid-80s.

[citation needed] Originally, Mercy Ships was a part of the Youth with a Mission (YWAM) family of Christian ministries, before becoming a standalone organization in 2003.

[6] In 1983, the Canadian ferry formerly MV Petite Forte of CN Marine was donated to Mercy Ships to provide relief operations in the Caribbean.

[2] In 2008, the Africa Mercy continued her service to Liberia, offering free surgeries, assistance in healthcare infrastructure development, and community-based preventive health care programs.

[citation needed] According to Jonathan Eppley of the Big Rapids Pioneer, the ship must first get invited by "a developing nation with a stable government."

[citation needed] The new ship, the MV Global Mercy, in partnership with Stena RoRo, finished construction and joined the fleet in June 2021.

[14] Mercy Ships is a predominantly Christian interdenominational missionary organization, describing their mission as "bringing hope and healing to the forgotten poor, following the 2,000-year-old model of Jesus".

[19][self-published source] In December 2011, Mercy Ships signed on as a full partner to a Health Agreement with Sierra Leone, focusing on improving the country's principal hospitals.

The agreement calls for Mercy Ships to focus on upgrading medical and surgical services, patient recordkeeping and the physical conditions of hospital buildings and infrastructure.

[citation needed] Mercy Ships partnered with the country's Ministry of Health, and programs addressed requests by the authorities in the Republic of Congo to support continuing education opportunities for practicing professionals.

[22] Medical personnel on board the organization's hospital ships provide surgeries and healthcare to treat a wide range of problems, including cleft lip and palate, cataract, bowed legs (genu varum), burns and burn scars, dental problems and obstetric fistula repair for injuries sustained during childbirth.

[24] The lower deck of the Africa Mercy is equipped with five operating theaters, 82-bed recovery wards, a CT scanner, an X-ray machine and a laboratory.

[citation needed] On the upper decks of the Africa Mercy,[25] the ship has 126 cabins that provide accommodations for more than 400 crew, including families, couples, and individuals.

The ship is equipped with a day care center, an accredited academy for all grades through senior year of high school, a library, a launderette, a shop for groceries and sundries, a restaurant, a gymnasium, and a donated Starbucks cafe.

[27] Due to the nature of the ship, positions for surgeons, dentists, and nurses are often readily available, but jobs such as deckhands, carpenters, seamen, teachers, cooks, engineers, machinists, welders, plumbers, videographers, photographers, writers, electricians and agriculturalists are also available.