Operation Smile

Operation Smile is a global nonprofit that expands access to cleft surgery and the care that surrounds it. For more than 40 years it has provided treatment for patients with cleft conditions and invested in training so local health workers can offer that care. The organization stresses that cleft care is more than a single operation and includes speech therapy and follow-up.

Education, youth programs, and work with governments are part of how it tries to make treatment available closer to home. Patient stories on its site illustrate both the medical need and the volunteers and clinicians involved.