In 2024, the Barzilai Foundation launched a program that addresses the problem of cleft lip and cleft palate in India. Cleft-based issues affect nutrition, breathing, speech, and appearance, and also devastate the person’s potential, reducing their prospects for employment, living independently, and finding a place in their community. The procedure to treat clefts is relatively safe and can take as little as 45 minutes, but the supply of qualified doctors and medical professionals comes nowhere close to meeting demand. For example, in West Bengal, less than half of cleft affected receive corrective surgery.
In partnership with Smile Train India, we launched a platform of training and education to broaden the supply of qualified medical practitioners in West Bengal and northeast India. Four high-impact events this spring brought this important work to life.
In March, Smile Train staged a cleft awareness workshops in Alipurduar and Burdwan, West Bengal. At these sessions, 903 accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers were trained on early detection of cleft as well as intervention and nutrition practices. Attendees also received educational tools they could use to drive awareness of cleft in their communities, which helps bring cases forward and reduces reluctance to undergo treatment.
In April, Smile Train hosted a six-day intensive course that trained 31 nurses from 9 partnering hospitals across West Bengal and northeast India on a wide range of cleft topics. Medical professionals received hands-on training and mentorship from 40 expert trainers, receiving valuable experience on every part of the cleft care experience.
This course built on the groundbreaking course Smile Train launched last year in Vellore, the first independent certificate cleft course in India. Smile Train’s vision for this training is inspiring: “By investing in nursing education, we’re not just building skills. We’re building confidence, enhancing care, and changing lives.”
In May, Smile Train hosted Nursing Care Saves Lives (NCSL) training in Cuttack. During the five-day session, 32 nurses from 11 Smile Train partner hospitals across Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh took part in an intensive workshop that equipped them with cleft-specific nursing skills and knowledge. “Their journey doesn't stop here,” Smile Train added. “It only begins at this new summit of knowledge and compassion. These nurses are now not just caregivers; they're cleft care champions, ready to impact recovery outcomes from the bedside to beyond.”
“In discussing the challenge of making cleft care accessible for all babies that are impacted, Smile Train made it clear that nurses and care workers are vital to making accessibility a reality,” said Brandon Sosa, CEO of the Barzilai Foundation. “These events are exactly how we’re going to increase the availability of cleft care. The healthcare specialists trained in these events will go on to change the lives of hundreds and thousands of children across India, and each of them is going to have a more meaningful life and a brighter future. We’re thrilled to be working with Smile Train on this effort.”
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