Operation Smile has been working in Jordan since 2000, providing quality health services for children born with cleft conditions. Since then, Operation Smile has delivered surgeries and comprehensive care services for around 4,000 patients in Jordan.
THE NEED
1.39 per 1,000 births. In Jordan, it is estimated that the cleft prevalence rate is 1.39 per 1,000 live births.
Limited access to surgery. The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery proposed that countries should perform 5,000 surgical procedures per 100,000 population. In Jordan, health workers deliver 2,982 surgical procedures per 100,000 population. The insufficient number of medical providers contributes to the lack of access to surgical care.
Jordan has 24 specialist surgical workers per 100,000 people, which falls short of the average number of 71 specialist surgical workers in high income countries.
Out of pocket payments. Despite considerable progress towards the goal of universal health coverage, 65% of patients arriving at Operation Smile programs have no health insurance.
Seven percent of the population is at risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care, while 16% faces catastrophic expenditure in case of surgical care. With 27% of patients arriving at Operation Smile programs living below the poverty line, out-of-pocket expenses create additional barriers to care for individuals affected by cleft conditions. Operation Smile’s survey revealed that 83% of patients arriving at Operation Smile programs in Jordan could not have undergone surgery without the support of Operation Smile.
Refugee population. Jordan is home to 2.5 million refugees, mainly from Syria, Iraq and Palestine. Many of these refugees are considered medically vulnerable. The large number of refugees has increased the demand for public healthcare services, leading to longer waiting times for all patients.
Barriers to education and employment. Without surgery, children with cleft conditions experience challenges in school performance, often requiring additional support from their caregivers. In Jordan, 29% of patients arriving at Operation Smile programs reported that their school performance was impacted by their condition, and 29% of caregivers stay home to provide necessary support.
OUR FORMULA FOR TRANSFORMATION
Operation Smile’s formula for transformational impact combines care delivery & capacity-building.
Education programs are at the center of Operation Smile’s strategy to increase access to surgery closer to the patient’s home.
Each surgical program brings together providers from all over the world for a unique opportunity to share knowledge and innovate. This type of bi-directional learning is essential to redistributing knowledge between providers and building capacity in the areas of greatest need.
Our work in health policy & advocacy and health infrastructure & equipment addresses structural barriers to care and helps build robust health systems. Operation Smile’s research & innovation efforts inform all aspects of our decision-making and allow us to have a comprehensive understanding of the impact our programs have on patients.
HUB & SPOKES
To ensure that every child has access to care close to home, we equip the providers within our patients’ communities with skills and resources to deliver high quality care. We build the needed capacity by harnessing the talent and resources that exist within the country, usually in the bigger cities, the hubs, to train providers in under-resourced areas, the spokes, where most patients lack access to care.
In Jordan, our hub is based in the city of Amman, and our spokes are located in Madaba and Irbid.
During Fiscal Year July 2024-June 2025, Operation Smile Canada has committed to invest $53,592, accounting for 4% of Jordan’s total projected budget for the fiscal year, which will directly contribute to performing surgery for around 170 patients and providing education and training for approx. 120 medical providers.
Cleft Care Programs
Over the course of the year, Operation Smile will deliver surgical care for around 170 patients in Jordan. We will expand comprehensive cleft care services by providing consultations in oral health (2,200 patients), nutrition (120 patients) and speech therapy (180 patients).
Education Programs
We will increase access to cleft care in Jordan by training approx. 120 health workers. Operation Smile plans to provide life-saving American Heart Association (AHA) training courses for medical professionals working across different specialties. We will deliver training for surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, oral health specialists, speech therapists, nutritionists and others.
FIVE-YEAR VISION
Over the course of the following five years, we will perform surgeries for around 1,200 patients and deliver consultations to 18,500 patients.
Operation Smile will provide education and training opportunities for local health workers across various specialties, including surgery, dentistry, nursing and anesthesia. We will grow our volunteer base by bringing together dedicated volunteers both from within the country and abroad to expand and evolve the educational programs we offer.
Operation Smile aims to expand its hub and spoke model to reach more patients in need of care. This will allow us to gain a 50% increase in program outputs over the next five years.
