AMREF and the Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) Uganda held a Cleft Lip and Palate surgical Camp at Jinja Referral Hospital in Uganda from August 27-31, 2012.
The camp was launched on August 28 at a ceremony attended by the Director of Jinja Hospital, Dr Michael Osinde, the Managing Director of KCB Uganda, Mr Albert Odongo, and AMREF Technical Resource Person and Project Manager, Dr Lawrence Kaggwa.
Dr Osinde thanked AMREF and KCB for the great initiative and thanked them for partnering with Jinja Hospital. "The problem of cleft lip and palate is often forgotten in health initiatives but this time round, it is good that it is on the agenda," he said. He thanked the surgeons for their hard work and promised full managerial support on behalf of the hospital.
Dr Michael Osinde examines a cleft lip patient during the cleft lip and palate surgical camp
"Children born with this defect can face serious airway, feeding, speech and hearing problems, as well as social and psychological challenges and these need corrective surgery," he noted.
A study at Mulago National Hospital in Uganda registered an incidence of 134 cleft lips and palates in 100,000 births. The defect can range from a small notch in the lip to a groove that runs into the roof of the mouth. Cleft lip and palate disorder is caused by a number of factors such as genetic pre-disposition, environmental exposure or even medications.
KCB, through the KCB Uganda Foundation, has contributed Ugsh60 million to support this cause.
AMREF is a transparent organisation distributing funds of up to $85 million per year.
