Sharing skills to build a lasting legacy in Zimbabwe

One of the things that makes CURE unique is our commitment not only to treating children today, but to strengthening healthcare systems for the future.

Recently, a team of six healthcare professionals from Swansea Bay University Health Board travelled to CURE Children's Hospital of Zimbabwe, giving up their own annual leave to help establish a specialist service for children born with hypospadias, a condition affecting the development of the urethra. The visit brought together expertise from plastic surgery, urology, anaesthetics and specialist nursing, with a shared goal of equipping local teams to provide this care long after the visiting clinicians had returned home.

The week began with a clinic, where families had travelled from across Zimbabwe, some covering more than 500 kilometres, to seek treatment for their children. Over the following days, the team worked alongside CURE Zimbabwe's surgeons, nurses and anaesthetists, carrying out 20 operations on patients ranging from just four months old to 17 years of age. Alongside surgery, they shared practical training on everything from surgical techniques to pre- and post-operative nursing care.

The impact of visits like these extends far beyond the patients treated that week. By investing in the skills and confidence of local healthcare professionals, CURE is helping to ensure that more children can receive specialist care closer to home in the years ahead.

It's a wonderful example of CURE's mission in action: combining expert surgical care with education, partnership and a commitment to building sustainable healthcare systems that will benefit children for generations to come.