Right now, 1.75 billion children, nine out of ten children in low and middle-income countries lack access to safe and timely surgical care. In some countries, entire populations are served by just a handful of specialists and some have no paediatric surgeons at all.
The shortage isn't just about numbers. It's about the child with a treatable fracture who ends up with a lifelong disability, the infant born with a correctable condition who never gets the chance to thrive and the countless families who watch helplessly as preventable conditions steal their children's futures.
Here's what changes everything: when you train one paediatric surgeon, you don't just save the patients they'll treat directly. You create a mentor who will train others, a leader who will establish programmes and becomes a catalyst who will transform an entire healthcare system.
That is exactly why Global CARE, under the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh is joining forces with Kids Operating Room (KidsOR). Over the next three years, Global CARE will invest £12,500 annually (£37,500 in total) into KidsOR's proven scholarship programme, funding surgical training where it's needed most.
Official Signing of MoU
An official Memorandum of Understanding was signed on 2 March 2026 between The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and Kids Operating Room, formalising a strategic partnership between the two organisations. The agreement was signed by RCSEd Vice-President Professor Angus Watson on behalf of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and by the MBE-awarded Co-Founder of Kids Operating Room on behalf of the charity.
Under this agreement, KidsOR will independently allocate dedicated funding to areas of greatest need, ensuring resources reach underserved communities without competing with our open application processes. This direct allocation model allows for nimble, targeted support while maintaining alignment with Global CARE's mission and requirements. The specific recipient and anticipated impact of this partnership funding will be announced at the annual Global CARE event on 22 May 2026.
A Partnership Built on Shared Values
This collaboration represents a natural alignment between two organisations committed to building sustainable surgical capacity in low- and middle-income countries. KidsOR's proven track record in delivering systematic, outcome-driven surgical training programmes complements Global CARE's mission to support the next generation of surgical leaders worldwide.
RCSEd Vice President Professor Angus Watson said: "Training local surgeons in low- and middle-income countries is the only sustainable way to build a healthcare system that can care for its own children. This isn't about short-term missions - it's about empowering local medical leaders with the skills to save lives and train the next generation.
“By combining the College's global network and educational standards with Kids Operating Room’s world-class model for implementation, we can ensure that our resources will create a positive long-term impact on children who need it most.”
Co-Founder of KidsOR, Mr Garreth Wood MBE said: “When there are no trained paediatric surgeons, children are forced to wait, or undergo complex procedures without the specialist expertise they deserve.
This partnership is a long-term investment in building that expertise locally, so children can access safe surgery close to home.”
Building on Previous Success
This partnership builds on an existing relationship between our organisations. RCSEd's Global Surgery Foundation previously funded half of a one-year KidsOR scholarship for Dr Betty Arkangelo Yuggu Philimona (pictured below). At the time, South Sudan, a country of over 11 million people, had no trained paediatric surgeons. Dr Betty is set to complete her training in 2026 and will return to Al Saba Children's Hospital in Juba as one of South Sudan's first qualified paediatric surgeons. Her operating room will have the capacity to perform 600 procedures annually, with each surgery preventing an average of 40 years of life lost to disability or premature death.
Looking Ahead
As Global CARE reflects on its first year of offering independent scholarships, this partnership represents an opportunity to strengthen the programme's approach to measurable outcomes and systematic impact assessment. By working alongside KidsOR's established framework, Global CARE aims to enhance its ability to demonstrate tangible results whilst continuing to refine its own scholarship methodology.
About KidsOR
Founded by Edinburgh couple Nicola Wood MBE and Garreth Wood MBE, Kids Operating Room works with local surgical teams in low- and middle-income countries to design and equip specialist operating rooms for children, train healthcare professionals, and strengthen long-term surgical capacity.