Each year, 17 million people die from conditions that could be treated with surgery as a result of a lack of access to affordable and quality surgical care. This burden is five times greater than HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. Additionally, 81 million people face catastrophic financial hardship due to the costs of accessing surgical care, including transportation and other socioeconomic barriers. Women and children are particularly at risk, with one in three women requiring medical or surgical intervention during childbirth, often unable to afford care.

Watsi combines technology and compassion to empower anyone, anywhere, to fund life-changing health care for individuals in the Global South. By connecting donors with those in need, Watsi fosters healthier lives, thriving communities and stronger health systems, profoundly impacting global well-being. With its innovative platform and commitment to radical transparency, Watsi’s global network of best-in-class frontline medical teams provides transformative, high-quality surgery for patients who would otherwise not have access to care or risk being pushed further into a lifetime of poverty.

About Watsi

Watsi is a nonprofit organization committed to making quality health care accessible to everyone by connecting people to fund health care for those in need in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The story of Watsi began when cofounder Chase Adams, while serving in the Peace Corps in Costa Rica, saw a mother on a bus asking for donations to fund her son’s surgery. This experience inspired him to create an organization that uses technology to crowdfund life-saving treatments for patients who cannot afford them.

Since then, Watsi has grown to help more than 30,000 patients across 33 countries, raising more than $10 million in donations. The organization partners with local medical organizations in the Global South, ensuring patients receive high-quality care. Watsi’s innovative platform shares individual patients’ stories, enabling supporters from more than 100 countries to fund surgeries and treatments directly. By unlocking $18 million in private capital through crowdfunding, Watsi is helping bridge the health care access gap, creating a more connected and equitable world.

Success Story

A notable success story is that of Caroline, a farmer in Uganda who had been suffering from severe pain due to an ovarian mass. With a simple surgery costing $220, she could be cured, but for Caroline, that price was unattainable. Watsi’s global community and its partner, African Mission Health Care, came together to fund her treatment fully. As a result, Caroline is now healthy and back to farming and providing for her family.

A Call for Action

“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to come together to build a world where every person can access the care they need to live a healthy life. Creating a world with health for all and closing the health equity gap requires concerted action and bold commitments, the creation of innovative cross-sector partnerships and a reimagining of how health care is accessed by the world’s most vulnerable communities. Through leveraging Watsi’s innovative health financing platform, we can move farther and faster toward this shared, audacious goal of a brighter, healthier world for all,” stated Mackinnon Engen, Watsi’s Executive Director.

– Staff Reports
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