In October 2004, the first volunteer Plastic & Reconstructive Surgical Team from Australia will travel to Tanzania to perform much needed surgery on Tanzanian children.  Lead by Western Australian plastic and reconstructive surgeons Dr Tony Connell and Dr Tony Baker the surgical team will also comprise of two anaesthetists and three nurses.

The surgical team will spend two weeks in Dar es Salaam and perform operations on 80-100 children with cleft lip and palate deformities, facial deformities and burn deformities particularly of the upper limb.  Local Tanzanian surgeons and nurses will be involved in the surgery to learn the principles and techniques of the plastic surgical procedures undertaken.  This surgical programme will continue to run until 2006 with the Surgical Mission going to Dar es Salaam in the first year, Arusha in the second year and to Mwanza in the third year.  The aim is to not only perform operations on local children, but also to educate local surgeons in the principles of plastic and reconstructive surgery so that they can pass their skills onto the Tanzanian population.
 
It is also planned to select one or more young Tanzanian general surgeons to come and train in Perth, Western Australia for 3 months in the subspecialty of plastic surgery.  The possibility of bring patients with complex cases that cannot be handled in Tanzania to Perth, Western Australia for surgery will also be examined.