Luanda – At least 153 children, with congenital malformation of cleft lip are expected to undergo surgery at Dr. Walter Stragway Hospital, in central Bié province, as part of the second phase of the campaign.
Under the guidance of the Health Ministry (MINSA), the campaign’s motto is “Have a healthy face, confident smile, self-esteem and guaranteed social inclusion”, which intends to perform surgery from 15 and 20 children daily in seven days.
According to the director of Josina Machel Hospital, Carlos Zeca, coordinator of the project, after the launch of the first phase, in September 2022, it has become imperative to replicate the same project in other units of the country.
The first campaign of free surgeries for lip and cleft of the palate deformities, carried out in Luanda, covered 153 children.
The surgeries will run from February 7 to14, 2023, with the participation of a multidisciplinary team made up of 22 professionals.
Cleft lip and palate, popularly known as cleft lip, is a genetic anomaly and is characterised by an opening in the region of the lip and/or palate of the newborn baby.
Cleft lip is a separation of the upper lip, usually just below the nose.
Cleft palate is an opening in the upper part of the roof of the mouth (the palate) that causes an abnormal opening into the nose.
One out of every 1,000 newborns in the world is born with this anomaly, statistics say.
Source: Angola Press News Agency