Mission

Our purpose is to help plug this global paediatric surgery gap by directly funding basic surgical procedures that could save millions of children’s lives.  As well as saving lives funding surgery also contributes towards tackling global poverty as our work prevents families from getting into debt and poverty.  Humanity Direct has funded over 500 operations from skin grafts to neurosurgery as well as surgery for hydrocephalus, hernias, burns, obstetric conditions and cataracts – ranked by the World Bank as among the most cost-effective of all health interventions in low-income countries.  We have over 400 patients awaiting funding and could fund many more as in many of the areas we work there is no access to any medical care at that level.  

Category

Disability

Additional Information

Humanity Direct funds low-cost, high-impact operations for children in developing countries.  Children in developing countries are among two billion people worldwide that lack access to surgical care. Of the 243 million operations performed annually just 3.5% of them happen in the world’s poorest countries and a far smaller percentage are performed on children. As a result congenital anomalies go unrepaired, treatable injuries result in lifelong disabilities, and children die of easily correctable surgical problems such as incarcerated hernias. A lack of skilled surgeons, delays in treatment such as seeing alternative and cheaper ‘healers’, the cost of reaching a medical facility and being charged a fee to see a doctor all compound the problems of getting children the life-changing, and often life-saving, medical care they need.