When local experts are equipped to lead, comprehensive cleft care becomes possible. Dr. Tarek, an ENT and longtime Smile Train partner in Egypt, saw this firsthand when he joined a multidisciplinary cleft team. By bringing ENT expertise into comprehensive cleft care, he helped address a need that is often overlooked: hearing health. His experience points to three important lessons for strengthening local health systems: 1. Train beyond the operating room. Building local expertise in ENT and audiology expands the range of care available to children with clefts. 2. Break down specialty silos. Multidisciplinary teams allow professionals to work together to address interconnected needs like hearing, speech, and cleft care. 3. Invest in locally led solutions. When local professionals have the training, resources, and support they need, specialized care can become more accessible within the communities where patients live. Innovation in global health is not always about creating something new. Sometimes, it means strengthening the people, partnerships, and systems already in place so they can provide more comprehensive care. This National Audiology Awareness Month, we’re highlighting why hearing care is cleft care. #NationalAudiologyAwarenessMonth #CleftCare

Cleft care goes beyond physical health. Stigma, bullying, communication challenges, and treatment-related stress can affect the mental and emotional well-being of people with clefts. That’s why long-term, personalized psychosocial support is an important part of comprehensive cleft care. From counseling and caregiver support to peer groups and community programs, psychosocial care can help children and families navigate their cleft journeys with the support they need, when they need it. From January 2020 through August 2026, Smile Train has supported psychosocial services for nearly 10,000 people with clefts and their family members across 18 countries. Learn more about how clefts can affect mental health and why personalized support matters at every stage of the care journey. Read our latest blog: smiletrain.org/blog/clefts-a… #CleftCare #smiletrain #MentalHealth

Your vote can make a difference! The Anthem Awards celebrate social impact work around the world, and Smile Train’s Immersive Clinical Simulation Training Platform is among this year’s finalists! Help us win the Community Voice Award: vote, share, and invite a friend to join you. Search for Smile Train and vote by October 29 at 11:59 p.m. PT. @AnthemAwards @AnthemAwards Vote here: celebrate.anthemawards.com/P… #smiletrain #nationbuilder #anthemawards #cleftlip #cleftpalate

For children with clefts, feeding can sometimes come with additional challenges, making nutrition and feeding support an important part of comprehensive cleft care. In this video, Dr. Fernanda Bassan, a nutritionist from Brazil, shares about the impactful work she does to support children and families with their nutrition and feeding needs. Her work highlights how specialized knowledge and support can make a meaningful difference in a child’s cleft care journey. From specialized feeding support to training local healthcare professionals, investing in the right knowledge, tools, and care today can help children and families access the nutrition they need to grow and develop. This World Food Day, we’re highlighting the role of comprehensive cleft care in helping children access the support they need, while reflecting this year’s theme from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization: “Innovate today. Nourish tomorrow.” #WorldFoodDay #CleftCare #Nutrition #ComprehensiveCleftCare

We’re finalists—and you can help us take home the Community Voice Award! Smile Train’s Immersive Clinical Simulation Training Platform is a finalist in the 6th Annual Anthem Awards, celebrating social impact work around the world. Show your support for innovation in cleft care training: vote by October 29 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Vote here and search for Smile Train. @AnthemAwards @AnthemAwards Vote here: celebrate.anthemawards.com/P… #smiletrain #nationbuilder #anthemawards #cleftlip #cleftplate

For years, Sakib had no friends. He was bullied by classmates and people in his neighborhood because of his cleft. The constant teasing made him withdraw from others and lose interest in the games he once enjoyed. Then, Sakib received cleft surgery at Smile Train partner Comilla Trauma Center, completely free to his family thanks to Smile Train supporters. Today, Sakib loves playing cricket with his friends and is always the last one to leave the game. The confidence he once lost has come back, and his family is thrilled to see him happy and outgoing. This National Bullying Prevention Month, we’re sharing Sakib’s story to remind us that every child deserves to feel accepted, included, and confident in who they are. Learn more about how cleft care can help children like Sakib feel confident and supported: smiletrain.org/blog/sakib-sa… #NationalBullyingPreventionMonth #CleftCare #smiletrain

What does it take to build health systems that truly meet people where they are? For Dr. Mayuri Kalyanpad, it means local expertise, community, and care that recognizes the whole person. Mayuri received cleft care through a Smile Train-supported local partner in India. Today, she is a doctor pursuing a specialty in mental health care, with a goal of supporting children with clefts through the psychological challenges she knows firsthand. Her story highlights a broader global health challenge: surgery is only one part of comprehensive cleft care. Children may also need speech therapy, nutrition, psychosocial support, and other treatments, all delivered by skilled professionals who understand their communities. That’s why Smile Train invests in empowering local cleft teams and strengthening health systems, helping make comprehensive care more accessible and sustainable. From patient to doctor, Mayuri is helping show what local expertise can make possible. #CleftCare #ComprehensiveCleftCare #cleftlip #cleftpalate

Behind every number is a child, a family, and a future filled with possibility. At Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Smile Train partners recently provided cleft surgical care to 16 patients over two days—an incredible example of what can be achieved through skilled local leadership, collaboration, and a shared commitment to high-quality cleft care. Reflecting on the experience, Dr. Fatima shared: “The most meaningful part was knowing that beyond the numbers—16 patients in two days—were 16 children and families whose lives could be positively changed.” She added, “Cleft surgery is not just about closing a defect; it is about restoring smiles, function, dignity, and possibilities.” This initiative also reflects something central to Smile Train’s model: sustainable cleft care is strongest when it is locally led. Surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses, coordinators, and multidisciplinary teams on the ground bring the expertise and dedication that make this work possible. As Dr. Fatima noted, “It highlights the expertise, commitment, and capacity of local teams to provide high-quality cleft care when given the right support and enabling environment.” We’re grateful to our partners at Lagos University Teaching Hospital and the dedicated healthcare professionals working together to strengthen locally led cleft care in Nigeria—not only for today, but for generations to come. #SmileTrain #Cleftlip #GlobalHealth #SustainableHealthcare #cleftpalate

For parents, a cleft diagnosis can come with questions, uncertainty, and many emotions. In this video, a mother shares her perspective on her child’s cleft care journey and the support that has helped her family along the way. Cleft care is about more than physical health. Psychosocial support can help children and families navigate the emotional and social challenges that may come with a cleft diagnosis, while providing support that is personalized to their needs at every stage of life. Read our latest blog to learn more about how clefts can affect mental health and why long-term, personalized care matters. ▶️ smiletrain.org/blog/clefts-a… #CleftCare #MentalHealth #smiletrain

Comprehensive cleft care goes beyond surgery. For children with clefts, access to ear and hearing care is an important part of supporting communication, learning, and participation in everyday life. Through Smile Train-supported programs, providers are expanding access to hearing assessments and ear tube surgeries while strengthening locally led cleft care systems. Watch the video to learn more about the role of hearing care in comprehensive cleft care. #NationalAudiologyAwarenessMonth #CleftCare #GlobalHealth @AcademyofAuD

What does quality cleft care look like? It goes beyond surgery. Comprehensive cleft care recognizes that patients may need support at different stages of their lives, from nutrition and speech therapy to follow-up care and emotional support. At Smile Train, we believe the future of cleft care must focus on the whole patient, not just the procedure. Because lasting impact means building access to care that supports every part of a patient’s journey. #smiletrain #cleftlip #cleftpalate #cleftcare

Tomorrow is World Smile Day! Join Smile Train and people around the world by sharing what makes you smile. Post your smile, tag @SmileTrain and use #SmileWall2026 to be part of the global conversation. #WorldSmileDay #WSD2026 #cleftlip #cleftpalate

Comprehensive cleft care goes far beyond surgery. At the National Cleft Care Center in Kumasi, Ghana, one of Smile Train’s local partners, speech therapy is an important part of the cleft care journey, helping children develop their communication skills and confidence. As a global leader in cleft care, Smile Train works alongside local partners around the world to strengthen healthcare systems, build local expertise, and expand access to comprehensive care. By investing in local expertise, we’re helping make quality, comprehensive cleft care more accessible to patients around the world. #SmileTrain #Cleftlip #ComprehensiveCleftCare #Ghana #cleftpalate

It's back! After the incredible success of our very first 'What Makes You Smile?' campaign, we're excited to launch Year 2! Last year, thousands of people around the world shared the moments that bring them joy. This year, let's make it even bigger. As we count down to World Smile Day, start thinking about what makes YOU smile and get ready to share it on October 2. #SmileWall2026 #WorldSmileDay #WSD2026 #cleftlip #cleftpalate

On International Day of Surgeons, we’re celebrating the surgeons who make a lasting impact through cleft care. For Dr. Gene, being a surgeon means more than performing surgery. It means building lasting connections with patients and collaborating across specialties to create meaningful outcomes. Through Smile Train’s partnerships with local medical professionals, surgeons like Dr. Gene help make quality cleft care possible closer to home while strengthening care in their communities. Today, we recognize the skill, dedication, and compassion of surgeons around the world. #InternationalDayOfSurgeons #CleftCare #SmileTrain

We’re back! The 7th Annual Virtual Global Cleft Con is coming October 17! Join the global cleft community for an interactive day of honest conversations, expert panels, new connections, and celebrating the strength of the #CleftStrong community. Register today: airmeet.com/e/e9c2f8c0-a4de-… #VirtualCleftCon2026 #CleftCommunity #SmileTrain #cleftlip #cleftpalate

The future of global surgery depends on more than expanding access. It depends on building systems that can deliver safe, high-quality care consistently and sustainably. For Smile Train, that means investing across the interconnected foundations of safe surgery: workforce, systems, equipment, and infrastructure. Professionals need specialized training and reliable technology. Technology needs dependable infrastructure. And all of it must be supported by protocols and systems that make safe care repeatable. This systems-based approach helps move global cleft care beyond short-term interventions toward locally led, sustainable solutions that can serve patients for generations. Read the blog to explore the four pillars of safe surgery and why strengthening each one is essential to the future of global cleft care: smiletrain.org/blog/safe-cle… #GlobalHealth #Cleftlip #SafeSurgery #HealthSystems #Cleftpalate

On World Patient Safety Day, we’re putting patient safety at the center of cleft care. For Dr. Igaga, Smile Train’s Safety Standard is more than a set of guidelines. It is a commitment to delivering safe, quality care at every step of a patient’s journey. Hear Dr. Igaga share what that commitment means to her and the patients she serves. #WorldPatientSafetyDay #CleftCare #PatientSafety

Today, September 15, is the day! Join us at 6:00 PM ET for Empowering the Patient to Be the Advocate with Beth Angella and Dr. Roberto Flores. Learn practical ways to strengthen self-advocacy, improve communication with care teams, and feel empowered throughout the cleft care journey. Join the webinar now:smiletra.in/4wIYNQK #letstalkcleft