In an effort to address the challenges faced by children with cleft lips and palates in Ghana, Dr. Charles Kwame Asiedu, a reconstructive plastic surgeon and partner of Smile Train, urges parents not to keep their children at home but to seek medical assistance. Dr. Asiedu emphasizes that treatment for these conditions is available free of charge at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge Hospital). Through Smile Train’s initiative, in collaboration with organizations like the Graft Foundation, local medical professionals are empowered to perform corrective surgeries and provide comprehensive care for affected children globally.

Dr. Asiedu highlights the importance of early intervention, noting that stigma often leads parents in rural communities to conceal their children’s conditions, depriving them of necessary treatment and impacting their future quality of life. He reassures parents that cost should not be a barrier, as Smile Train offers not only surgical procedures but also nutritional support and therapy, including speech and language pathology, dental treatment, and psychosocial support.

Over the past five years, 70 children have received free services at Ridge Hospital, with approximately 2,500 children benefiting from free surgeries since Smile Train began its operations in Ghana in 2011. Furthermore, Smile Train is nearing completion of a multipurpose facility in Kumasi, aimed at providing comprehensive cleft care.

During a visit to Ghana as part of Smile Train’s 25th-anniversary celebration, Susannah Schaefer, President and CEO of Smile Train, expressed her satisfaction with the organization’s impact globally, having assisted over 1.9 million children with untreated cleft lip and palate. Dr. Brainerd Anani, Managing Director of Graft Foundation, lauded the partnership with Smile Train over the past decade, emphasizing the significant positive outcomes achieved, particularly in cleft surgeries. He commended Smile Train for its financial support, which has enabled the provision of much-needed care for patients.