Since 2021, Operation Smile has provided around 160 surgeries and over 2,300 medical consultations in Palestine.
THE NEED
Limited access to care. The health system in Palestine is highly fragmented, with Israel’s separation barrier and checkpoints hindering health care provision for many Palestinian communities. In some areas of the West Bank, restrictions on Palestinian development prevent the establishment of permanent health facilities. The Israeli permits regime applies to most Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territory, affecting access to health care for patients.
Operation Smile’s survey revealed that 87% of patients arriving at Operation Smile programs in Palestine could not have undergone surgery without the support of Operation Smile.
Lack of infrastructure. Successive fiscal crises of the Palestinian Authority, high donor dependency and limitations to import and export lead to reduced availability of medical services. In the West Bank and Gaza, there are just 1.2 hospital beds per 1,000 people. In stark contrast, in high income countries, the average rate stands at 5.3 hospital beds.
Limitations in daily life. Children and adults with cleft conditions face challenges throughout their lifetime. 31% of patients arriving at Operation Smile programs said that their school performance is impacted by their condition and 36% said that their condition limited their marriage prospects.
Challenging child health situation. Limited access to quality care disproportionately impacts Palestinian children. One in ten children under the age of five suffers from stunting in the West Bank and Gaza. The infant mortality rate is 14 deaths per 1,000 live births.
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 Palestine, our Care Center is based at the AL-Ahli Hospital located in Hebron where Operation Smile Palestine provides year-round comprehensive cleft care for patients living with cleft conditions. This center will transform into our hub this year.
In addition, we provide burn care at Rafedia hospital in Nablus city. Operation Smile volunteers are also engaged in community services in the Gaza Strip.
Cleft Care Programs
This year, Operation Smile will provide surgical care for around 190 patients. We will deliver oral health consultations for around 240 patients, nutritional care for over approx. 190 patients, speech therapy consultations for 240 patients. Through social media recruitment campaigns and hospital referral programs, we plan to increase awareness about Operation Smile services among potential patients and partners.
Education
Operation Smile will increase access to cleft care in Palestine by providing training opportunities for around 530 medical providers. We will provide specialty-focused workshops for health professionals in the fields of cleft surgery, anesthesia, nursing, dental care, nutrition, psychological care and speech therapy. Operation Smile will hold American Heart Association training courses for health workers across various fields.
FIVE-YEAR VISION
In the next five years, Operation Smile will provide surgical and non-surgical care for around 6,300 patients.
Operation Smile will offer specialty-focused training to health workers, expand American Heart Association training and deliver Basic Burn Management courses.
Another crucial component of Operation Smile’s capacity building efforts is increasing caregiver knowledge of cleft conditions, as their involvement leads to better health outcomes for children. We will hold awareness and education workshops for the families of patients, ensuring that children living with cleft conditions receive the best possible care.
Operation Smile will develop partnerships with the Palestinian Ministry of Health and universities to expand our cleft care programs across the country.
