Put cleft care on NHIS to reduce reliance on donor support – Dr Ernest Konadu-Asiedu

DR Ernest Konadu-Asiedu, Head of the Medical and Dental Unit at the Ministry of Health, has underscored the need to embed cleft care into Ghana’s national health policy framework.

Speaking at the Partner Forum held at the Smile Train Leadership has supported more than two million procedures globally since its founding in 1999.

Centre in Kumasi, Dr Konadu-Asiedu emphasised that cleft lip and palate were not merely surgical conditions but public health and developmental challenges, often linked to nutrition, speech, stigma, and long-term functional limitations.

Currently, Smile Train—the world’s largest cleft-focused non-profit organisation—provides free surgeries and In Ghana alone, over 3,000 children have received primary cleft surgeries, generating an estimated $67 million in economic benefit since 2003.

Cleft refers to a split or division, like a cleft in a rock or a cleft palate (a birth condition affecting the roof of the mouth). In a broader sense, it describes a separation or fissure.

He noted that while Smile Train continues to provide free surgeries, long-term sustainability requires Ghana to take ownership of cleft services within its health system.

Financing is also critical, and embedding cleft services into the National Health Insurance Scheme and exploring the Ghana Medical Trust Fund would reduce reliance on donor support.

His vision is for cleft care to be fully institutionalised, locally led, and sustainably delivered through Ghana’s health system, ensuring that children born with cleft conditions can access comprehensive, life-changing care even beyond Smile Train’s support.

Ms Susannah Schaefer, President and CEO of Smile Train, lauded Ghana’s pioneering role in cleft care in Africa, describing the National Cleft Care Centre in Kumasi as ‘a beacon of hope’ for children and families across the continent.

She emphasised the urgency of tackling stigma and misinformation surrounding clefts, pointing out that one in 770 children in Ghana is born with the condition.

Without treatment, they struggle to breathe, eat, and speak, and too often face bullying and isolation. By encouraging families to seek free, safe, and high-quality care, she said, children are given the chance to thrive, to smile, and to contribute to building the nation.

Prof. Solomon Obiri-Yeboah, Head of the National Cleft Care Centre, also noted that one in 770 children has cleft condition.

He celebrated the resilience of families and children living with clefts, describing them as an inspiration.

The six storey centre, the first of its kind in Africa, was fully sponsored with equipment by Smile Train at a cost of over $2 million and is located within the precincts of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.

From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi

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