Operation Smile

Pan-African Surgical Conference: Celebrating Partnership, Empowering Local Leadership

Africa is facing a critical shortage of surgical care providers—with over 6 million more needed by 2030. In response, Operation Smile and our partners proudly supported the inaugural Pan-African Surgical Conference, a groundbreaking event created by and for the continent’s surgical community.
Held in Kigali, Rwanda, and co-organized with the Rwanda Surgical Society, the University of Rwanda, and the Ministry of Health, the conference brought together 500+ delegates, 300+ surgeons, and 30+ speakers from across Africa and around the world. Over seven days of expert panels, interactive sessions, and collaborative workshops, participants focused on building resilient and sustainable plastic and reconstructive surgical systems in Africa.
This milestone gathering reflected the power of locally led innovation, globally supported collaboration, and a shared commitment to ensuring that every district has access to safe surgical care. Many presenters were graduates of fellowships and training programs supported by Operation Smile—now leading efforts to train the next generation of surgical providers.
Together, we are strengthening the future of surgery in Africa, one partnership—and one surgeon—at a time.

Learn more: panafricansurgicalconference.com