Kids Operating Room Overview

An Overview of

Kids Operating Room

Kids Operating Room Globally, 1.75 billion children lack access to safe surgical care leading to preventable surgical conditions that cause five times more deaths annually than HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis combined.

Countless children suffer from treatable conditions that result in lifelong disabilities, lost educational opportunities, or unnecessary deaths due to the lack of access to life-saving surgical care. With nearly onethird of the global disease burden due to surgically treatable conditions, the absence of paediatric surgical capacity is a growing crisis, exacerbated by rising cancer rates, road traffic injuries, and trauma morbidity.

Kids Operating Room specialises in delivering state-of-the-art surgical and healthcare infrastructure to resource- limited and conflictaffected regions.

To date, we have designed, built, and equipped more than 100 operating rooms across 36 countries—each tailored to meet local needs and delivered in collaboration with Ministries of Health. These facilities are transforming surgical access for millions of children and their families.

Our approach is rooted in long-term sustainability. We prioritise solar-powered infrastructure and eco-friendly practices, ensuring that our investments remain effective and operational for years to come.

Plans in Development Operating Rooms Installed

A transformation of an operating room in Ntcheu, Malawi.

Impact to Date

103

Operating Rooms Installed

643,000 Surgical Capacity

36

Countries Worldwide

Medical staff in Muhimbili National Hospital, Tanzania

Our Impact 643,000+ Surgeries Made Possible

Kids Operating Room has created the capacity for over 643,000 paediatric surgeries across 35 countries— helping children heal, grow, and reclaim their futures.

Over 100 Operating Rooms Installed Across 36 Countries—Sustained Through Ongoing Stewardship All operating rooms installed across 36 countries remain active, with over 95% of original equipment still functioning. Kids Operating Room remains engaged beyond installation, providing stewardship and technical support to ensure long-term, sustainable surgical care.

205,920 Surgeries Annually 2,080+ Per Operating Room

Our facilities enable over 200,000 surgeries every year. Each operating room adds long-term capacity for more than 2,000 life-changing paediatric operations annually.

A toddler receiving care at Mercy James Hospital, Malawi

£14.66 Billion in Lifetime Economic Benefit to Date

By restoring children’s health and future potential, Kids Operating Room has generated nearly £15 billion to date in economic value for partner countries.

World-Leading Value for Money & Health Impact

Kids Operating Room has averted over 10.9 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs)—at just £4.69 per DALY or £292 per life saved—making it one of the most cost-effective global health interventions.

Transforming Hospitals & Health Systems

Illustrative examples include Charles de Gaulle Hospital in Burkina Faso, where mortality dropped by 80% and hospital stays fell from 14 to 3 days; Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Ghana, where surgical volume rose 76.5%; and Mulago Hospital in Uganda, where surgical wait times fell from five years to under two weeks.

Building Local Surgical Capacity

Kids Operating Room has supported the training of over 1,300 surgeons, anaesthesiologists, nurses, and biomedical engineers—including the first-ever paediatric surgeons in countries like Burundi and South Sudan.

Recognised Innovation in Global Health

Kids Operating Room’s Solar Surgery System and modular clinical infrastructure projects—including collaborations with NASA—have been recognised with awards for innovation, impact, and sustainability in healthcare delivery.

Shielding Families from Catastrophic Health Costs

By partnering with public hospitals, we prevent families from falling into poverty due to surgery costs— protecting livelihoods and helping children return to school and play.

94 Solar-Powered ORs Including in Conflict Zones

Our Solar Surgery System provides safe, reliable power even in fragile or disaster-affected regions— eliminating 2.6 tons of carbon emissions per OR each year.

Medical staff in surgery, Kijabi, Kenya

Child who received care at Muhimbili National Hospital, Tanzania

Solar Surgery Systems

NASA Oxygen Generation Project

In many parts of the world, unreliable power supply threatens the success of surgeries.

Power outages can lead to cancelled procedures, endangering children who have already waited months—or even years—for essential care. In response, Kids Operating Room pioneered a solar-powered surgery system that provides a clean, reliable power source for operating rooms.

Access to reliable medical oxygen is a critical challenge in many low-resource settings. In some regions, hospitals must rely on a time-consuming and expensive process that involves a two-day round trip to refill oxygen cylinders, which are often industrialgrade and may contain contaminants, rather than the medical-grade oxygen required for safe patient care.

When the sun is shining, the system harnesses solar energy to power the equipment. In the absence of sunlight, a battery reserve can power the equipment for up to six hours, ensuring that surgeries continue even during power outages. This system has been installed in 104 operating rooms across Africa, reducing carbon emissions by 2.6 tons of CO2 per operating room annually— equivalent to the carbon footprint of half a million car miles.

Solar panel installation, Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya

To address these challenges, Kids Operating Room is collaborating with NASA to evaluate an innovative, affordable oxygen generation system.

The Medical Ceramic Oxygen Generator (M-COG) uses advanced ceramic technology to produce medicalgrade oxygen directly from ambient air. This system is energy-efficient, compact, and scalable, offering a reliable and sustainable solution that could significantly improve oxygen access in low- and middle-income countries. The M-COG can generate five litres of oxygen per minute, ensuring a consistent and safe supply for hospitals in need. In addition, the byproduct of the process—extremely hot air—is being explored for its potential use in sterilising medical equipment, providing another possible benefit in resourceconstrained settings.

Doc Gatkuoth Doc was born in South Sudan with both of his feet twisted inwards, making it impossible for him to walk.

For years, he relied entirely on others to carry him— unable to take a single step on his own. His condition, bilateral clubfoot, seemed destined to limit his life forever.

Had he been born in the US or UK, Doc’s condition would likely have been identified at birth during routine screenings. Treatment would have begun within weeks, using a simple series of casts—often followed by a minor outpatient procedure and bracing. In most cases, children are walking by their first birthday. But Doc was born in a place where that care simply didn’t exist. His first steps weren’t delayed because they were impossible—but because treatment was out of reach.

In another country, his recovery might have taken just four weeks. Doc waited four years.

In 2019, his family relocated to Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya—and for the first time, Doc had access to the care he needed. He received surgery in the Kids Operating Room facility that corrected his clubfoot. Just one month later, he took his first steps.

Today, Doc is an active seven-year-old who not only walks but runs and plays football with his friends.

He proudly wears his Manchester City jersey as a member of his local team and dreams of becoming a doctor to help others the way he was helped.

The facilities and surgical expertise provided by Kids Operating Room at Kakuma have not only transformed Doc’s life but brought hope to countless families like his. His story stands as a testament to the life-changing impact of access to care in underserved communities. For his mother, it’s simple: “Thanks to the doctors, my son has a future.”

“When a child receives surgery, they can return to school. Their parents can return to work. That single operation ripples outward—lifting a family, strengthening the entire community, and reducing long-term poverty. Healthier children mean fewer missed school days, greater educational attainment, and more stable households.

As families regain their ability to earn an income, communities become more productive and self-sufficient. When local surgical teams are trained and equipped, the impact grows exponentially—empowering communities, building economic resilience, and laying the groundwork for long-term development. This is what Kids Operating Room makes possible: local care, lasting change. Thank you, Kids Operating Room, for being a champion of this cause.”

Emmanuel Bua, MD, MPH, General Surgeon and Paediatric Surgery Fellow, Mbarara

Our work contributes to Nine Sustainable Development Goals No Room to Operate, Our life-saving appeal.

Our life-saving Solar Surgery System installed at SNCH.

Kids Operating Room is a charity registered in Scotland: SC048523 Kids Operating Room USA is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization: EIN 88-2501572