Construction begins on Mercy Ships' newest hospital ship

Designed by Finnish naval architecture firm Deltamarin, the 174-metre ship will have hospital facilities covering approximately 7,000 square metres across two decks. The facilities will include six operating rooms, a fully equipped laboratory, training spaces, 98 acute care beds, 86 low care beds, seven isolation beds, and accommodation for 600 crewmembers and other personnel.

The ship's launch will be in November 2026. Outfitting of the vessel will take two years while another year will be spent equipping the onboard hospital facilities.

Once delivered, Africa Mercy II will be operated primarily in Africa. Financial support for the ship's construction has been provided by the charitable foundation of container shipping company the MSC Group.