Scar Free unites high-level experts to drive lasting change for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence

23 September 2025

A high-level roundtable at St James’s Palace hosted by HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh has marked significant steps forward in the development of SPARC – the Swansea–Panzi Alliance for Reconstruction and Care of survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, reinforcing the UK’s leadership role in tackling CRSV (conflict-related sexual violence) and highlighting the transformative potential of international cooperation, medical science, and sustained advocacy.

The SPARC initiative, led by Nobel Laureate Dr Dennis Mukwege, Professor Iain Whitaker OBE and The Scar Free Foundation, aims to transform outcomes for survivors of CRSV through cutting-edge surgical care, training, and research.

Those who survive conflict-related sexual violence can be left with traumatic, intimate and internal scarring which lead to lifelong functional problems. Alongside this, the psychological impact of surviving the violence, and facing a future with the complications caused by it, can be severe.

Official discussion on how the initiative can scale, support global recovery, and leverage UK surgical innovation marks significant progress in improvement of care for CRSV survivors worldwide.

Chaired by Richard, the discussions brought together global leaders, clinicians, and policy experts, including:

• HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh
• General Valerii Zaluzhnyi
• Dr Denis Mukwege
• Mr Sheehan Hetriatri OBE DM FRCS (Plast)
• Professor Iain Whitaker OBE
• Lord James Bethell
• Ms Nikki Luffingham, Programme Director for Migrant Health, NHS England

with representatives from:

• The Panzi Foundation
• The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
• The Welsh Government
• The Welsh Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery
• Swansea University
• Health and Care Research Wales
• NHS England
• The Royal College of Surgeons of England
• BFIRST
• BAPRAS

Last year, Professor Iain Whitaker and a team of experts travelled to Panzi to deliver training in advanced reconstructive techniques – an effort directly inspired by The Duchess’s visit to the hospital – before a return trip to Swansea University by Dr Denis Mukwege. It was here that the collaboration of Panzi and Swansea was formalised, and SPARC was officially announced.

The SPARC initiative aims to advance the understanding and treatment of CRSV by focusing on the following areas:

Surgery

• Develop a world-leading collaboration between Swansea University and Panzi Hospital to improve outcomes for CRSV survivors in resource-limited settings.

Research

• Use big-data research approaches to leverage the world-class Panzi Hospital Clinical Database with the aim of establishing a new, robust classification system for CRSV injuries.

Training

• Introduce plastic surgery techniques relevant to the treatment of CRSV injuries in the DRC and the wider international community, while building knowledge and capacity through regular reciprocal visit.

The most recent report of the UN Secretary-General on CRSV for the year to December 2023 found:

• An increase of 50% in the number of reported cases
• Women and girls are disproportionately affected by CRSV and account for 95% of reported cases
• In over 30% of cases, the victims are children
• CRSV is also perpetrated against men and boys, often in detention centres, but remains under-reported
• Deliberate targeting of members of the LGBTQ+ community

Given escalating reports of CRSV globally, the timing of the  roundtable could not be more critical, as more survivors are left in urgent need of coordinated support and medical intervention. SPARC seeks to answer that need with innovation, collaboration, and compassion.