The Pan-African Surgical Conference

Get ready for an exhilarating week in Kigali, Rwanda, as Operation Smile hosts the Pan-African Surgical Conference 2025! Immerse yourself in the theme “Building Resilient and Sustainable Surgical Services in Africa: A Surgeon in every District.”

Over the past decade, Operation Smile, the University of Rwanda and the Rwanda Ministry of Health have collaborated to boost surgical capacity. Now, we’re convening the Pan-Africa Surgical Conference to unite stakeholders dedicated to advancing surgery in Africa.​

Visit the conference website to register.

Driving Transformation: Empowering Surgeons, Fostering Innovation​

• Diverse attendance: 500 attendees, fostering collaboration and networking opportunities among experts, professionals and key stakeholders.​
• Pre-conference workshops: 150 providers participating in hands-on skill development workshops across surgical specialties.​
• Empowering women in health care: 100 female providers present, promoting gender equality and diversity in the surgical field.​
• Join the movement: Be part of the initiative to enhance surgical care across Africa, contributing to transformative change in health care delivery.​

Solving Africa’s Surgical Gap: The Conference’s Vital Role​

• High disease burden: Over 30% of African diseases require surgery, underlining the urgent need for improved access to surgical care.​
• Disproportionate burden: Sub-Saharan Africa has a higher burden of surgical disease, with 38 DALYs (disability-adjusted life years) lost per 1,000 populations.​
• Scarce health care workforce: Africa faces a severe shortage of medical professionals, with only two doctors and 11 nurses/midwives per 10,000 people.​
• Contribution to sustainable development goals: Enhancing the surgical workforce, numbers and infrastructure is vital to improving surgical care access in Africa, aligning with the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.​