Operation Smile launches surgical programme in Mtwara

MTWARA: A NON-PROFIT organisation- Operation Smile Tanzania has launched its first surgical programme in Mtwara to provide healthcare services to children born with cleft lip and cleft palate.

The initiative is led by a Tanzanian medical team and supported by regional and international volunteer medical professionals.

This milestone marks the beginning of a sustainable system of care for children born with cleft lip and cleft palate across the country. According to the organisation,

over 2,500 babies are born with cleft conditions in Tanzania every year but many don’t receive early diagnosis and few have access to surgical care.

The launch of the programme means that children no longer have to wait years or travel long distances for treatment that could change the course of their lives.

Operation Smile Tanzania, Country Manager Dr Hamid Mandali said, “It’s a new beginning for health care in Tanzania – one that brings urgent medical care closer to home, empowers local professionals and strengthens the health system for the long haul.”

Dr Mandali said the surgical programme begins with Education Day and Pre-Hospital Readiness (PHR) Training, which prepares both medical and non-medical teams to provide comprehensive, safe and high-quality care.

The sessions bring together local and international medical professionals and educators, united in their commitment to equitable health.

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The timing is powerful: just two days later, on May 25, Africa will commemorate Africa Day – a celebration of unity, resilience and the continent’s pursuit of a brighter future.

“This launch represents what Africa Day is all about . We are showing that Tanzania and Africa are ready to lead. With support, investment and training, we can create systems that last.” Dr Mandali noted.

Operation Smile Tanzania is building sustainable systems, starting with two regional centres in Iringa and Mtwara, which will provide surgeries, education, research and long-term care.

18 community health workers and 2 nutritionists were among the first to undergo training, gaining the tools to identify cleft conditions and refer patients early.

Their role is to bridge the gap between rural communities and clinical care.

Operation Smile Tanzania is supported by important partnerships in the country, including the Tanzania Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (TASPRAS) and academic collaboration with the Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences (CUHAS)/Bugando Medical Centre (BMC) in Mwanza, where Professor Faustin Ntirenganya from Rwanda and Dr Abraham Negussie from Ethiopia respectively, lead surgical training and mentoring of Tanzanian specialists through visiting professorships (VPs) leading up to this surgical programme.

Dr Negussie’s VP marked a historic moment – the first-ever hand and brachial plexus surgeries were conducted in Tanzania. The collaboration between Operation Smile, CUHAS and BMC is paving the way for advanced reconstructive surgery in the country.