Eight surgeons from seven countries join the decade-long Pioneering Women in Reconstructive Surgery (PWRS) program, training in leadership in Bangkok before specializing in breast cancer reconstruction in Vietnam
Bangkok, 30 September – ReSurge International and SkinCeuticals welcomed the fifth cohort of the Pioneering Women in Reconstructive Surgery (PWRS) program, marking ten years of a partnership dedicated to training first-generation women reconstructive surgeons in low and middle income countries worldwide.
This year’s cohort — eight surgeons from seven countries — spent three days in Bangkok, Thailand (September 23–25) at L’Oréal Thailand in leadership training led by ReSurge and SkinCeuticals, and will travel next to Hue, Vietnam (September 26–October 3) for hands-on clinical training in breast cancer reconstruction alongside an international team of surgeons, anesthesiologists, and nurses.
In Bangkok, the cohort worked through a leadership program co-led by ReSurge CEO Claire Lachance and Ida Abdalkhani of A2E, alongside sessions on strategic planning and personal vision-setting. These surgeons will go on to advocate for change in their own health systems, mentor the next generation, and help decide what reconstructive surgery looks like in their countries for years to come.
The 2026 cohort includes:
- Dr. Ezati Ayikoru Daphine, Uganda
- Dr. Faith Atieno, Kenya
- Dr. Laxmi Kandel, Nepal
- Dr. Moumita Acharya, India
- Dr. Nardos Tedla, Ethiopia
- Dr. Natalie Muhia, Kenya
- Dr. Rutendo Faith Makiwa, Zimbabwe
- Dr. Taonga Kim Mbewe, Zambia
Surgically treatable conditions kill more people than tuberculosis, malaria, and HIV/AIDS combined, yet five billion people lack access to safe, affordable surgical care. Since 2017, PWRS has worked to close that gap by giving first-generation women reconstructive surgeons the advanced surgical skills, mentorship, and leadership training to expand access to care in their own communities. Women represent only 33% of the global surgical workforce — a figure that drops to 7% in sub-Saharan Africa and 12% in India and in Latin America and the Middle East. Prior to this cohort, the program had trained 25 women reconstructive surgeons through the PWRS program and awarded 60 Matolase Mtonga Scholarships, named in honor of the late Dr. Matolase Mtonga, Zambia’s first woman reconstructive surgeon. The PWRS program has helped train the first women reconstructive surgeons in Bhutan, Malawi, Mozambique, Nepal, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. PWRS alumni are now projected to treat more than 7,500 patients annually, and its graduates have the potential to impact 10 million patients over the course of their careers.
This year’s training reflects a growing focus on breast cancer reconstruction and microsurgery, precision procedures that enable surgeons to reconnect nerves, blood vessels, skin, bone, and tissue to repair damage from trauma, burns, cancer and disease, an area ReSurge is actively expanding. ReSurge has worked in Vietnam since 1989, and recently established the country’s first breast cancer reconstruction training program, led by Dr. Dung Nguyen, director of breast reconstruction at Stanford University, and local ReSurge surgical partner, Dr. Trung Hau. The program has trained more than 150 local surgeons, and Dr. Trung Hau’s team now performs one to two breast reconstruction surgeries a week and has gone on to train other surgeons himself, which is the kind of ripple effect PWRS surgeons will now have the opportunity to learn from directly.
“This groundbreaking first decade of the PWRS program is a powerful example of ReSurge’s unyielding commitment to closing the gap to reconstructive surgery. With the generous support of SkinCeuticals, the PWRS program has increased the number of reconstructive surgeons in low income countries – representing the potential to ultimately deliver life-transforming reconstructive surgical care to millions of patients. PWRS is helping to close the enormous gender equity gap in surgical care that persists in LMICs, going beyond just clinical training by also providing leadership development, mentorship, and professional networks that help women surgeons advance and lead.” — Claire Lachance, President and CEO, ReSurge International.
“Our ten-year partnership with ReSurge International is rooted in SkinCeuticals’ core belief that advanced professional education and specialized skills have the power to transform. The remarkable surgeons in this cohort embody the future of the program—by using our position as a global leader to do good, we can help build a more equitable future for healthcare worldwide.” — Erica Tan, Global Head of Social Impact and Sustainability, SkinCeuticals.
PWRS is a partnership between SkinCeuticals and ReSurge International. Since its founding in 2017, SkinCeuticals has donated more than $1.7 Million USD to the program.
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About ReSurge International:
ReSurge International is a global nonprofit founded in 1969 with a mission to build, scale, and sustain reconstructive surgical capacity in low-income countries. Operating across 17 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, ReSurge trains local surgical teams, provides free reconstructive care, and advocates for surgical equity worldwide.
In fiscal year 2026, ReSurge impacted more than 32,000 patients, and trained more than 3,500 medical professionals. ReSurge is a 4/4-star Charity Navigator organization and holds Platinum Candid status. resurge.org
About SkinCeuticals:
Founded on groundbreaking antioxidant research, SkinCeuticals has established itself as the leading force in medical aesthetic skincare worldwide. Our expertise lies in science-backed products that offer transformative solutions, seamlessly integrating with the most advanced cosmetic procedures to enhance skin’s appearance and protect professional results. SkinCeuticals is the trusted choice for over 12,000 dermatologists, plastic surgeons, and medical aesthetic professionals worldwide. Available in 42 countries, the brand is distributed exclusively in the most advanced clinics, SkinCeuticals flagship stores, high-impact travel retail counters and on SkinCeuticals.com.