Operation Smile in Mexico has been delivering top-quality care and has provided cleft surgery to over 13,420 patients through the 152 surgical programs hosted locally.
THE NEED
One in 800. In Morocco, one in 800 children are born with a cleft condition, totaling to 2,000 each year.
Children with cleft conditions face many challenges in their daily lives. 22% of patients arriving at Operation Smile programs in Morocco said that their school performance was impacted by their condition.
Shortage of providers and hospitals. In Morocco, 23% of patients arriving at Operation Smile programs do not live within two hours of a hospital, creating challenges when medical attention is needed. The Lancet Commission proposed that at least 80% of the population should live within two hours of a hospital.
The Lancet Commission proposed that, to meet populations’ needs, countries should have 20 specialist surgical workers per 100,000 population. Morocco faces a critical shortage of medical providers, with just four specialist surgical workers per 100,000 people.
Given the limited number of health workers, only 756 surgical procedures are provided per 100,000 population, which falls short of the target set by Lancet Commission on Global Surgery of 5,000 procedures.
Financial barriers. Despite significant progress towards the goal of universal health care, 52% of our patients remain uncovered by medical insurance, which leaves many children born with cleft conditions without support or treatment.
With 58% of patients arriving at Operation Smile programs living below the poverty line, out-of-pocket fees for procedures create an additional barrier for families seeking care. Operation Smile’s survey revealed that 79% of patients arriving at Operation Smile programs in Morocco could not have undergone surgery without the support of Operation Smile.
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 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 Morocco, the Bouafi Hospital and the Operation Smile Care Center located in Casablanca serve as hubs, providing care for patients in the country’s most populous region.
The spokes at the Al Antaki Hospital in Marrakech and the Children’s Hospital in Rabat are supported by the hub in Casablanca.
Six months later, Rania and her family traveled to an Operation Smile program site where she was welcomed by a team of compassionate volunteers. Early surgical intervention allowed Rania to avoid the stigma and isolation experienced by many people living with untreated cleft conditions.
During Fiscal Year July 2024-June 2025, Operation Smile committed to invest $166,002 CAD, accounting for 7% of the country’s budget which will directly contribute to providing top-quality surgery for around 850 patients and train approx. 1,690 medical providers.
Cleft Care Programs
Over the course of the following year, Operation Smile will deliver surgical care for around 850 patients. We will expand comprehensive cleft care services by providing consultations in dentistry and orthodontics (13,825 patients), nutrition (950 patients), speech therapy (750 patients), ENT care (585 patients) and psychosocial care (450 patients). Operation Smile will increase access to cleft care in Morocco by establishing a Care Center in Marrakesh.
Education
Operation Smile provide training for around 1,690 health workers. Operation Smile will expand training opportunities through medical programs, workshops, conferences, training sessions held at our Care Centers and courses certified by the American Heart Association. We will grow our volunteer base at each hub by partnering with local medical leaders, international trainees, universities and university health centers.
FIVE-YEAR VISION
In the next five years, Operation Smile will deliver high-quality surgery to 6,800 patients. We will provide consultations to 18,000 patients, expanding access to comprehensive cleft care services in Morocco.
To enhance surgical capacity, we will continue to invest in the Bouafi Hospital in Casablanca, the Children’s Hospital of Rabat and other hospitals that provide cleft care.
