Scar Free Royal Patron and Chief Investigator SPARC further support for conflict-related sexual violence survivors
HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh and Professor Iain Whitaker OBE are back at Panzi Hospital to advance work on the SPARC project, supporting survivors of conflict-related sexual violence 📸 Aaron Chown, Chief Royal Photographer at PA
2 October 2025
Our Royal Patron, HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh, and Scar Free Chief Investigator, Professor Iain Whitaker OBE, have returned to Panzi Hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo to continue the work of SPARC: the Swansea-Panzi Alliance for Reconstruction and Care of survivors of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV).
The visit follows a high-level roundtable at St James’s Palace in early September, hosted by HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh. The event marked significant progress in the development of SPARC and reinforced the UK’s leadership role in tackling CRSV, highlighting the transformative potential of international cooperation, medical science, and sustained advocacy.
Read the full story of the latest visit on www.royal.uk:
About SPARC
The SPARC initiative – instigated by HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh – aims to advance the understanding and treatment of CRSV by focusing on:
- 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.
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