The perfect partnership – FLASH ‘makes people’s lives easier’, while Operation Smile saves lives, empowers patients and their families, and enables them to overcome the emotional, social and economic consequences associated with the condition.

In 2018, FLASH partnered with Operation Smile South Africa (OSSA), a non-profit organisation that provides surgical assistance to disadvantaged individuals with cleft lips and palates.

The funding provided by FLASH will support the first ever surgical weekend in 2019 at the Witbank Provincial Hospital, where free surgeries will be performed on an initial 20 patients with cleft lips and/or cleft palates. A further 15 to 20 patients will be identified and assisted later in the year.

It will also contribute to multidisciplinary care services to the patients and their families, as well as education and training for medical professionals in resource-poor regions to promote the future growth and sustainability of local health systems.