Introducing: Operation 100

Five billion people do not have access to essential surgical care. Leveraging Operation Smile’s 40+ years of expertise in expanding surgical access, Operation 100 will help change that.

Our Bold Commitment

Operation 100, and 100 is just the start

Operation 100 is our bold strategy to bring essential surgical care closer to patients’ homes by investing in frontline health workers and strengthening district hospitals.

We will start by equipping 100 cleft operative teams with advanced skills, essential equipment and enhanced health infrastructure across 100 hospitals.

This marks a pivotal step in our four-decade-long commitment to advancing health equity to ensure no one is left behind.

Our Approach: Strengthening Local Health Systems

Education is a Force Multiplier:
We work alongside partners to equip frontline health workers with the skills and resources to deliver safe, high-quality surgical care in their own communities. Our goal is for patients to receive care from health care providers who look like them, speak their language and understand their unique context.

Bringing Care Closer to Home:
By strengthening district hospitals and investing in local infrastructure, we expand access to surgery and reduce the distance patients travel for care. As a data-driven organization, we know where our patients are and the distances they travel to access the care they need. We are bridging the gap by bringing care closer to the communities we serve, ensuring everyone gets access to the high-quality care they deserve.

Operation 100 is Just the Start:
Operation 100 is just the start. We’re breaking down barriers to surgical care and advancing health equity, so no one is left behind. It’s our shared commitment to lasting impact and it will change lives — not only for patients, but for families, communities and health care providers for years to come.

Care Closer to Home

To ensure patients can access care within two hours of home, Operation Smile is equipping local cleft operative teams with advanced skills, essential equipment and strengthened hospital infrastructure through Operation 100.

Rwanda

In partnership with the Ministry of Health, Operation Smile co-created a five-year strategy to address the country’s surgical needs, with a focused investment in plastic surgery and anesthesia training. Sites at Ruhengeri, Gisenyi, Kibuye, Bushenge, Kibungo and Rwinkwavu will receive targeted support.

Learn about our work in Rwanda

Guatemala

Over the next five years, we will strengthen cleft surgical systems in three strategic regions — Guatemala City, Escuintla and Peten.

Learn about our work in Guatemala

Ghana

In the next five years, we will enhance cleft surgery systems across four key regions — Accra, Koforidua, Cape Coast and Ho.

Learn about our work in Ghana

For too long, patients have been forced to travel for days, exhausting their resources just to reach surgical care — only to be turned away. Operation 100 is about building hope.
— Kathy Magee, Co-Founder, President and CEO of Operation Smile