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 over 4,000 patients in Jordan.
But there is more to do.
During Fiscal Year July 2025 -June 2026, Operation Smile will invest $433,800 to perform surgery for 150 patients and provide training for 120 medical providers.
In the next five years, Operation Smile will perform surgeries for approximately 750 patients and provide consultations for 14,000+ patients.
Cleft Care Programs
Over the course of the year, Operation Smile will deliver surgical care for 150 patients in Jordan. We will provide oral health consultations for 2,400 patients, speech care for 240 patients and nutrition consultations for 20 patients.
Education Programs
Operation Smile will increase access to cleft care in Jordan by training 120 health workers. Life Support courses, delivered in collaboration with the American Heart Association, will strengthen critical skills. All programs will include hands-on practice and skills training for local cleft care providers.
THE NEED
1.39 per 1,000 births. In Jordan, the estimated prevalence of cleft conditions is 1.39 per 1,000 live births.
Limited access to surgery. The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery recommends that countries perform at least 5,000 surgical procedures per 100,000 population to meet essential health needs. In Jordan, health workers deliver only 2,982 surgical procedures per 100,000 population, well below this benchmark. A key factor behind this gap is the shortage of medical personnel. Jordan has just 24 specialist surgical workers per 100,000 people, compared to an average of 71 in high-income countries. The country also suffers from a major shortage of pediatricians, further straining the health system’s capacity to deliver timely care for children.
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 for 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.
BRINGING CARE CLOSER TO HOME
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 strengthen health system capacity by harnessing the talent and resources concentrated in larger cities, the hubs, to train providers in under-resourced areas, the spokes, where access to care is most limited.
In Jordan, our hub is based in the city of Amman.
Our spoke is located in Madaba.
FIVE-YEAR VISION
Over the course of the following five years, we will perform surgeries for approximately 750 patients and deliver consultations to over 14,000 patients.
Operation Smile will provide education and training opportunities for local health workers across multiple 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 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.
We remain committed to building partnerships and developing a national cleft registry and patient referral system.