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Each year, thousands of children are born all over the world with facial deformities. Current indicators suggest that the rate of incidence in developing countries is approximately one in 500 births.
In Operation Smile's mission countries alone, more than 113,000 children are born with a cleft lip and/or cleft palate each year.
Without appropriate medical care, these children suffer both physical and emotional trauma. Many have difficulty breathing, speaking and eating. The social stigmas that they face are isolation, even abandonment. Given these overwhelming circumstances, these children cannot become productive members of society.
The greatest injustice of all is that a relatively simple surgery can correct a cleft lip and cleft palate deformity. For over 20 years, Operation Smile has committed itself to change the lives of these forgotten children.
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