Treatment of clefts in Togo: Visit of Susannah Schaefer, CEO of Smile Train to the CHU Campus of Lomé

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Extract from the article: The President and CEO of Smile Train, Susannah Schaefer, made her first visit to the CHU Campus of Lomé on 22 March 2023. The aim of the visit is to strengthen the free care programme for cleft lip and palate patients. Susannah Schaefer also met with

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The President and CEO of Smile Train, Susannah Schaefer, made her first visit to the CHU Campus of Lomé on 22 March 2023. The aim of the visit is to strengthen the free care programme for cleft lip and palate patients. Susannah Schaefer also met with children and families who have benefited from free surgery and comprehensive cleft care.

Susannah Schaefer and her delegation were warmly welcomed by the Director of the hospital, Dr Kalao Assima, and Professors Grégoire Akakpo-Numado and Agoda Palakina, respectively Head of Paediatric Surgery and Head of Odonto-Stomatology. The CEO of Smile Train noted the benefits of the activities and commendable efforts of her organisation in the management of cleft lip and palate at the CHU Campus.

After visiting the operating theatres and the Odonto-Stomatology department, the delegation interacted with the children and families benefiting from this free surgery and comprehensive patient care programme. « Smile Train's vision is that every patient with a cleft lip or palate should have access to adequate and free care for a full life. To achieve this, we need a partnership with local health actors. We build their capacity to better care for patients in their communities », explained Susannah Schaefer.

Smile Train's Vice President, Nkeiruka Obi, expressed her satisfaction and thanked the entire team that handles the platinum slots. She praised the quality and thoroughness of the health professionals in administering care.  « The road is not easy when you have a child with clefts. We understand your pain, that's why we bring hope to patients. Be at peace with the doctors who care for you. The most important thing for us is that patients have access to care. Be confident, be reassured, be patients, be Smile Train spokespeople in your communities to save victims. Make sure that all children who suffer from this disease have access to care », she told the beneficiaries.

The CHU Campus of Lomé is one of the partner hospitals of Smile Train on this programme of management of cleft lip and palate in Togo.  The Director of CHU Campus, Dr. Kalao, on behalf of the hospital administration, expressed his gratitude to the NGO Smile Train for its support to the government's efforts to ensure access to health care for all populations.

Research conducted by the World Institute of Child Surgery has estimated that 1.7 billion children lack access to safe surgical procedures. Children between the ages of 5 and 14 die every year from surgically treatable injuries. To strengthen surgical healthcare systems, Smile Train advocates for governments to prioritise their National Surgical, Obstetric and Anaesthetic Plans (NSSAP), and is currently involved in the implementation of the NSSAP in Nigeria.

Smile Train has active cleft treatment programmes in 42 African countries with over 245 partners and over 255 partner hospitals across the continent. Smile Train provides local health professionals with training, funding and resources to provide free comprehensive cleft surgery and care to children around the world. Smile Train provides a sustainable solution and a scalable global health model for cleft treatment, dramatically improving children's lives, including their ability to eat, breathe, speak and ultimately thrive.

William O.