Nigerians have been called upon not to stigmatise or kill children with cleft lip and palate as they can be treated and live a normal life like others.
Prof. Fadikemi Ogini, president of the Nigerian Association for Cleft, Lip, and Palate, made the call in Kano during yesterday’s fifth annual scientific conference.
Speaking on the conference theme, “Standardizing Cleft Care In Nigeria,” she explained that they aim to improve the quality of life for individuals affected by cleft, lip, and palate.
She revealed that part of their plan is to ensure that those affected can access standard treatment anywhere across the country.
She said they hoped to provide quality care that can be comparable to anyone across the nation.
“So, that you are in one part of the country and I am in another part of the country does not mean that we will receive different levels of care. We want care to be uniform; we want it standardised, with everybody doing exactly the same thing and offering high-quality care to all patients across the nation.
“To Nigerians, I will say, those who have children born with cleft lip and palate, those who see individuals with cleft lip and palate should not stigmatise them because they can be cared for and they can live a normal life.
“I will also call on well-meaning Nigerians who have the means to support cleft care to approach the Nigerian Association of Cleft Lip and Pilates and ask how they might be able to help provide care for these children.
“Don’t kill children with cleft lip and palate, don’t stigmatise children with cleft lip and palate, bring them out for comprehensive care, and they can live a normal life”, she stated.
The keynote speaker at the conference, Prof. Peter Donko, the immediate past president of the West African College of Surgeons, explained that cleft lip and palate is a global issue, but Africa is particularly affected because of poverty, lack of resources, and lack of adequate manpower to deal with it.
“We are here to challenge ourselves to work with organisations like Smile Train, which has been funding cleft treatment for many years, and also with our governments to take the initiative forward and provide resources for treating these children who are unfortunate enough to be born with this congenital defect,” he added.
