Breaking the stigma of cleft lip, palate; the role of stakeholders
Madam Mary (second second from left) with her son at launch of cleft awareness month
The maternity ward at Ada East District Government Hospital is filled with the cries of new babies as Mary Tettegah lies on her hospital bed, feeling a mix of emotions after childbirth.
She gazes at her baby boy, her heart is heavy as she notices the opening on the upper lip of her new born baby boy. The sight makes her anxious, and she watches as he struggles to breathe, his tiny chest rising and dropping.
In that moment, Mary feels a shift in her hopes for her child. Confusion and sadness washed over her, leaving her feeling overwhelmed.
Just then, Mary’s mother enters, her expression after seeing her new grandson next to her daughter reveals disappointment and concern.
“What kind of child have you given birth to?” Her mother’s words cut through the air. Mary feels the weight of her mother’s disappointment and struggled to hold back the tears, unable to meet her gaze.
The silence that followed was heavy. Mary feels a deep ache, not just for her child but for the support she longs for. As her mother turns to leave, Mary is left alone, feeling the solitude of the hospital room around her.
Before leaving, Mary’s mother told her that no one in their family had ever given birth to a child like this, expressing her belief that the baby was either cursed or somehow evil. Looking at the behaviour of her mother, she feared how they would be accepted at home.
The fear of being stigmatised by family, friends and members of her community overshadowed Mary and this epitomises similar stories and plight of families with cleft-diagnosed children.
What is cleft?
Cleft lip (CL) occurs when the lip does not fuse together properly during foetal development. Cleft palate (CP) is a hole or opening in the roof of the mouth, when the roof of the mouth (which is made up of both the hard and soft palate) does not fuse together properly.
The gap is there because parts of the baby’s face did not join together properly during development in the womb.
Babies can be born with a cleft lip, a cleft palate, or both. A cleft may just affect one side of the lip or there may be the two clefts.
It can range from a small notch to wide gap that reaches the nose and sometimes it can be hidden by the lining of the roof of the mouth.
Babies born with cleft lip or palate often struggle with eating, breathing and speech development.
Statistics
Globally, every three minutes a child is born with a cleft condition – about one in every 500 to 750 births. Africa has the lowest incidence, at approximately one in 1,200 births and in Ghana a case of cleft lip or palate is recorded in every 1,000 babies born.
A cleft condition is not a major cause of mortality in developed countries; however, it does cause considerable morbidity among children who are affected and their families.
The severity of the cleft and its immediate impact followed by the long-range effects may influence the parent’s perceptions, reactions, and need.
Misconceptions
In spite of the large number of children who are diagnosed and cured of cleft lip or palate globally, there are unfortunately still many misconceptions surrounding the condition.
Many people in the developing countries like Ghana still describe children born with clefts as ‘cursed babies’, or ‘babies from gods.’
Also, it is believed that such children are cursed, possessed, struck by an evil spirit, or were children born out of adultery or facing punishment from God.
In some African societies, such children are cruelly killed, starved to death, bundled in sacks and thrown into rivers. These beliefs had cost the lives of many innocent children.
Typically, in developed countries, a child’s cleft will be repaired soon after birth, but in the developing world, many children with clefts are not as fortunate as families often do not have access to quality healthcare services or the resources to pay for proper cleft treatment.
Causes
In most cases, there is no known cause of cleft lip or cleft palate, and parents cannot prevent it. Also, most scientists believe it is a combination of genetic (inherited) and environmental (related to the natural world) factors cause clefts. Some environmental causes of cleft are smoking or drinking alcohol, obesity during pregnancy, and a lack of folic acid during pregnancy.
Stigmatisation
People who have cleft lips or palates often struggle to feel accepted in society, because society associates physical beauty with acceptance, even in the absence of any unfavourable reactions from others.
Due to this, most parents hide their children with cleft conditions from families, friends and the society, thereby denying them opportunity to receive treatment which later affect them in life while others leave such children to die without feeding them.
Way forward
During the launch of the cleft awareness week in Accra last month, a father with a cleft child said he had to move from where he used to live to another place because, both he, the mother and child were being teased and mocked.
At that same event, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), Dr Opoku Ware Ampomah, demystified the notion that cleft is not a curse but a medical condition.
According to him cleft was a medical condition that can be corrected in a 45 minutes surgery.
He cautioned women who are in their fertile age not to take ‘any medication anyhow’ when they miss their period but rather check whether they are pregnant. He urged women to visit the hospital when they have challenges to avoid having such conditions.
Recommendations
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recognises that children living with an untreated birth defect such as cleft puts them at risk for malnutrition, poor health, and poverty.
The challenges of cleft lip and palate begin at birth and can be life-long, making it difficult for infants to properly feed, putting them at a higher risk of malnutrition.
In an attempt to fight the increasing rate of cleft among children in Ghana, it is important for stakeholders to increase access to health care, thus expanding healthcare infrastructure especially in the rural areas, train health care professionals in cleft care and surgery while providing financial support for cleft treatment and rehabilitation.
Also, it was important to create public awareness campaigns in schools and communities to demystify the negative perception of cleft, reduce stigmatisation and give parents and children with the condition a sense of belonging.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
The Volta North Regional Police Command has secured a conviction of a 27 year old man Mohammed Rafiu for making unlawful entry and stealing church musical instruments at Hohoe in the Volta Region.
On June 5, 2026 the accused was observed near the Faith International Ministry Church carrying a sack containing various items rushing to hail a car.
The witnesses suspected his action and approached to check the content in the sack. The following items were found, One (1) Amplifier, One (1) equalizer, One (1) mixer and
Cross-over Machine all belonging to the church.
The accused was arrested and brought to the Hohoe Police District where he admitted to police to the charges leveled against him.
On Monday June 8, 2026 the accused was put before the Hohoe circuit cout where he pleaded guilty on two counts and was convicted and sentenced to three (3) years for unlawful entry and four (4) years of stealing.
Both sentences are to run concurrently.
The Volta North Regional Police Command has urged the general public to immediately report any suspected criminal activities to the Police for action.
News
Dome-Kwabenya MP, Ga East MCE tour flood-prone areas in the constituency, assure victims of support
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome-Kwabenya, Elikplim Akurugu, together with the Municipal Chief Executive for the Ga East Municipal Assembly, Edmund Agboh, and officials of the assembly, have toured several flood-prone communities in the constituency to identify the causes of recent flooding and inspect structures obstructing waterways.
The inspection made on the Monday, 8th June, 2026 formed part of efforts to assess the extent of the flooding, identify structures built on waterways, and develop plans for their demolition to prevent future occurrences.
Some areas visited during the tour included Christian Village, Sesemi, Abokobi Station, Falaku and the Pure Water area, all of which were affected by the recent floods that hit parts of the constituency.
Speaking to the media after the inspection, the MP expressed sadness over the destruction caused by the floods, noting that although no lives were lost, many residents had suffered significant property damage.
She attributed much of the flooding to human activities such as indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drains and the construction of buildings on waterways and drainage channels.
The MP appealed to residents to change their attitudes towards sanitation and environmental management, stressing that the country did not have a deficit of prayers but rather an attitude deficit.
She assured residents that the assembly and its technical team would immediately begin work to address some of the drainage challenges identified during the tour.
Ms. Akurugu sympathised with residents whose homes and businesses were affected by the floods and assured them that efforts were being made to secure relief items to support them.
The Municipal Chief Executive of the Ga East Municipal Assembly, Edmund Agboh, said the inspection was intended to take stock of the causes of the recent flooding, which he described as unprecedented.
According to him, the assembly wants to be proactive by identifying and addressing the factors responsible for the flooding before the next rainy season.
Mr. Agboh blamed part of the problem on the increasing number of structures being erected on waterways and drainage paths, as well as the failure of some residents to comply with building regulations.
He disclosed that many of the structures identified during the inspection would be marked for demolition after the necessary procedures had been completed.
The MCE further announced plans to intensify inspections, particularly on weekends, explaining that some developers often undertake unauthorised construction works on Saturdays and Sundays when assembly officials are not at work.
He said the assembly would collaborate with neighbouring jurisdictions and deploy additional resources to improve drainage systems and reduce flooding in the municipality.
The MCE assured that the assembly will use the findings from the inspection to implement immediate and long-term measures aimed at reducing flooding and protecting lives and property in Dome-Kwabenya.
The Director of Works at the Ga East Municipal Assembly, Engineer Justine Glover, said the team inspected several critical locations along the Dakobi River and other flood-prone areas.
He explained that at Pantang Village, officials directed contractors to excavate and open blocked culvert outlets to allow the free flow of water during rainfall.
At Sesemi, he said the team observed extensive damage caused by upstream developments and the absence of proper drainage infrastructure.
Engineer Glover added that officials recommended dredging drainage channels at Abokobi Station to improve the performance of existing culverts.
He further revealed that some structures identified on waterways at Falaku had been earmarked for demolition as part of efforts to restore the natural flow of water.
In addition to the inspection, the MP and the MCE visited residents affected by the floods in the Pure Water area to offer words of encouragement and assure them of support.
The tour also revealed that many residents had constructed buildings on waterways, while several structures lacked the required building permits, a situation officials said had contributed significantly to the flooding experienced in the constituency.
By: Jacob Aggrey
