What CURE International does

CURE International is a 501(c)(3) faith-based nonprofit operating a global network of eight pediatric surgical hospitals across sub-Saharan Africa and the Philippines, founded in 1999 by Dr. Scott Harrison and Sally Harrison. The organization provides free orthopedic, neurological, and reconstructive surgical care to children with disabilities living in poverty, and has cumulatively delivered more than 370,000 surgeries and 5.6 million patient visits across 31 countries. CURE pairs clinical delivery with spiritual ministry, patient rehabilitation, and medical training programs accredited through partnerships with COSECSA and PAACS, which have trained more than 31,000 medical professionals.

The organization's business model is donation-based rather than commercial: services are provided at no cost to patients, with revenue generated through individual giving, church and faith-community partnerships, corporate matching programs, and grants. A standardized $1,000-per-surgery sponsorship product functions as the unit-economic anchor for fundraising campaigns, supported by affiliated fundraising entities in the United Kingdom and Canada. Operational credibility is reinforced by a Charity Navigator four-star rating, ECFA membership, and a 2025 Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency.

CURE's competitive position rests on a capital-intensive 8-hospital physical footprint, mobile clinics extending rural reach, an embedded referral network of pastors and local churches, and proprietary low-resource clinical protocols refined over 25 years of operations. There is no indication of technology-platform revenue, software products, or AI-enabled tooling in the source material.

Name

CURE International

Legal name

CURE International

Website

https://cure.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

CURE International is a 501(c)(3) faith-based nonprofit operating eight pediatric surgical hospitals across sub-Saharan Africa and the Philippines, providing free orthopedic, neurological, and reconstructive surgery to children with disabilities in poverty across 31 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Pediatric Healthcare Services

NAICS

General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (622110), Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals (62231)

SIC

Services-Hospitals (8060), Services-General Medical & Surgical Hospitals, Nec (8062), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s Hospitals & Pediatric Health Systems (HLAFAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Medical Missions & Global Health NGOs (BPAGACAI)

Keywords

• Pediatric surgical care
• Charitable hospital network
• Medical training programs
• Orthopedic reconstructive surgery
• Disability healthcare services

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donor Contributions and Charitable Giving: As a nonprofit organization, CURE International generates revenue entirely through donations from individuals, corporations, churches, and foundations. Services are provided at no cost to families living in poverty. Revenue supports surgical care, ministry outreach, and medical training programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CURE International operates a global network of eight charitable children's hospitals across Africa and the Philippines that deliver reconstructive, neurological, and orthopedic pediatric surgery at no cost to families living in poverty. The surgical care is wrapped in a Christ-centered ministry program including pre-operative diagnostic and nutritional support, post-operative therapy and prosthetics, and accredited medical training residencies and fellowships.

Product overview

CURE International operates a unified healthcare service portfolio organized around its global children’s hospital network, supplemented by ministry outreach, pre- and post-surgical care modules, and medical training programs. The CURE Children’s Hospital Network is the core offering: eight hospitals across Africa and the Philippines that deliver reconstructive, neurological, and orthopedic surgery at no cost to families living in poverty. This core surgical service is supported by the Before Surgery Services module (diagnostic testing, nutritional support, patient consultation, and lodging) and the After Surgery Services module (physical therapy, follow-up appointments, prosthetics and orthotics, prescription medicine, and mobility device fitting). The Ministry Outreach program extends the core offering with Christ-centered spiritual and social support including biblical counseling, prayer and bedside ministry, play therapy, mobile clinics, pastor training, and advocacy. Finally, the Medical Training Programs module serves long-term capacity-building through CURE Neuro, PAACS Residency, COSECSA fellowships, fellowship programs, and residency rotations, training the next generation of surgeons and healthcare workers in the regions CURE serves.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CURE Children's Hospital Network: Global network of eight pediatric hospitals providing high-quality surgical and intentional ministry care for children with treatable disabilities

Products and services

• CURE Children's Hospital Network Global network of eight charitable children's hospitals in Africa and the Philippines providing high-quality surgical and intentional ministry care for children with treatable disabilities at no cost to families.
• Surgical Care (Reconstructive, Neurological, and Orthopedic) Life-changing pediatric surgical procedures for children including burn contractures, cleft lip and palate, encephalocele, epilepsy, hydrocephalus, spina bifida, bowed legs, clubfoot, genu valgum, osteogenesis imperfecta, untreated trauma, and windswept legs, delivered free to impoverished families.
• Ministry Outreach Christ-centered counseling, prayer and bedside ministry, play therapy, mobile clinics, pastor training, advocacy, and education programs that address the spiritual and social needs of children with disabilities and their families.
• Medical Training Programs Accredited training programs for healthcare workers including CURE Neuro, PAACS Residency, COSECSA fellowships, year-long fellowship programs, and residency rotations that build local surgical capacity in underserved regions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 370,000+ surgical procedures performed to date
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• COSECSA (College of Surgeons of East, Central, and Southern Africa)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCURE is accredited by COSECSA to host surgical residencies and fellowships at its hospitals, training the next generation of surgical specialists in the region. This partnership enables CURE to deliver formal medical training while expanding surgical capacity across sub-Saharan Africa.
• PAACS (Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCURE partners with PAACS to train local surgeons through a residency program that integrates medical excellence with Christian ministry, preparing doctors to meet both physical and spiritual needs in underserved regions.
• The Royal College of Surgeons of EnglandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCURE International UK's registered address is at The Royal College of Surgeons of England, indicating a collaborative relationship with the institution.
• Joy 99.3 FMminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJoy 99.3, a West Michigan contemporary Christian music station, is a long-standing radio partner helping CURE reach donors with information about its mission and surgical care programs.
• The Brant Hansen ShowminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe syndicated radio program hosted by Brant Hansen and Sherri Lynn airs on over 200 stations and is sponsored by CURE International, helping spread awareness to a broad Christian audience.
• 104.9 The River (Columbus, Ohio)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe River is a family-friendly Christian music radio station in Columbus, Ohio that partners with CURE to promote its surgical care mission.
• The Fish AtlantaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Fish is a commercial Christian radio station serving metro Atlanta that partners with CURE to reach listeners with the organization's mission.
• Word FMminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWord FM is a talk radio station based in Pennsylvania and a long-standing CURE partner, helping promote the organization's charitable work.
• KSGN 89.7 FM (Riverside, California)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerKSGN is a family-friendly radio station in Riverside, California that partners with CURE International to spread awareness of its surgical care programs.
• Shine 104.9 (Spokane and northern Idaho)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerShine 104.9 is a 100% community-funded Christian radio station partnering with CURE to share biblical truth and uplifting music alongside information about CURE's mission.
• CURE CanadacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCURE Canada is an independent affiliate organization that provides fundraising and project support to the CURE International network, helping expand donor reach in Canada.
• CURE United KingdomcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCURE International UK is an independent UK charity (registered in England and Wales, charity number 1094705) that provides fundraising and project support to the CURE network.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Smile Train: Largest cleft-focused global nonprofit funding free cleft lip and palate surgeries in developing countries. Highly comparable to CURE as a faith-adjacent, donation-funded, surgery-focused global pediatric nonprofit with similar referral and training models.
• Operation Smile: Provides free cleft lip and palate surgeries worldwide through a network of medical volunteers and partner hospitals. Closely comparable to CURE on pediatric surgical mission, donation-based funding, and multi-country footprint.
• Mercy Ships: Operates hospital ships delivering free surgical care and training to low-income countries. Directly comparable to CURE on free surgical services for impoverished populations, faith-based mission, and investment in local medical training capacity.
• ReSurge International: Provides reconstructive surgical care and training in developing countries. Closely comparable to CURE on reconstructive surgery focus, training of local surgeons, and nonprofit delivery model for children in low-income regions.

Broad incumbents

• Partners In Health: Operates comprehensive healthcare systems in low-income countries including surgical care. Comparable to CURE on global health delivery in sub-Saharan Africa but with broader service scope (not surgery-specialized) and secular positioning.
• Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders): Largest global medical humanitarian organization operating in conflict and low-resource settings. Comparable to CURE on delivery of medical/surgical care in underserved regions, though with a secular, emergency-focused mandate and much larger scale.
• Sick Kids Foundation (SickKids): Major children's hospital and pediatric health research foundation in Canada. Comparable on pediatric specialty hospital focus and donor-driven funding model, though primarily serving a domestic (Canadian) market versus CURE's international mission.

Emerging players

• Children's Investment Fund Foundation: Major global philanthropic funder focused on children's health and welfare in developing countries. Adjacent comparator given CURE's pediatric focus and global health footprint, though CIFF operates as a funder rather than a direct service provider.
• Medical Teams International: Provides medical and dental care in disaster-affected and low-income countries through volunteer teams. Comparable to CURE on faith-rooted medical missions and global pediatric/surgical service delivery.

Others

• Faith To Action Initiative: Supports faith-based organizations providing health and social services in Africa. Ecosystem peer given CURE's heavy integration with church referral networks and faith-based community health worker training.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cureintl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cure-international
• Facebookfacebook.com/cureintl
• Instagraminstagram.com/cureintl
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CUREInternational

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CURE International