The Executive Director of Cleft and Facial Deformity Foundation (CFDF), Dr. Seidu Bello, has called for public support towards the completion of the proposed Abuja Craniofacial Hospital, a specialized centre intended to provide free surgeries to indigent patients suffering from facial deformities.
At the launch of CFDF’s 29th free surgical mission held on Saturday at Kuje General Hospital in Abuja, Dr. Bello, in his keynote address, titled “Advocating Public Support for the Abuja Craniofacial Hospital to Serve the Poor,” highlighted the severity of facial deformities in the country and across Africa, noting that the burden is exacerbated by poverty and stigma.
Drawing from global data, he said oral diseases affect at least 3.5 billion people, with Africa bearing the heaviest toll due to limited access to healthcare.
Dr. Bello highlighted the severity of facial deformities in the country and across Africa, noting that the burden is exacerbated by poverty and stigma.
“Facial deformities don’t just cause physical pain; they bring deep psychological trauma and social dislocation. These conditions destroy potential, keep children out of school, and isolate entire families from society,” he said.
Dr. Bello recounted the humble beginnings of CFDF in March 2011, when the foundation conducted its first set of 32 successful surgeries at the same Kuje General Hospital. “It was an experiment,” he said, adding “but 14 years later, we’ve carried out nearly 1,500 major surgeries across 13 states in Nigeria, and the demand keeps growing.”
The current mission, dubbed Team 29, has already registered 45 patients, with 15 operated on as of the launch day. The team aims to treat 40 patients in total during the weeklong exercise.
Amid the growing demand, Dr. Bello unveiled progress on the Abuja Craniofacial Hospital project, a 7,200 square metre facility under development in Sabon Karshi, Nassarawa State, roughly an hour from the capital city.
The hospital, expected to cost N1.6 billion (approximately $1 million), will include surgical theatres, male and female wards, and administrative offices, and will serve as a treatment, training, and research centre for facial deformities.
“This hospital is not just a dream, it’s a necessity. “It will provide access to specialised surgery and restore dignity to thousands of people who would otherwise be forgotten,” he said.
He explained that the most common facial deformities seen by CFDF fall into four categories; Cleft Lip and Palate- congenital defects causing openings in the lip and mouth, Facial Tumours – abnormal swellings with unknown causes, Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Ankylosis – a “locked jaw” often caused by childhood infections or trauma and Noma – a severe, often grotesque facial disfigurement caused by malnutrition and untreated infections.
“These conditions share a tragic common thread, stigma, poverty, and lost opportunities,” Dr. Bello said.
He also emphasised CFDF’s mission to offer a “Nigerian solution to Nigerian problems,” highlighting the foundation’s goals of creating awareness, offering free surgeries, conducting research, and ultimately building a permanent hospital dedicated to facial deformities.
The success of Team 29 was made possible by sponsors, including the TY Danjuma Foundation, Smile Train International, and support from the Federal Capital Territory Administration, alongside a team of tireless volunteers.
Dr. Bello called on well-meaning Nigerians and the private sector to contribute to the Abuja Craniofacial Hospital project. “The time has come to stop depending solely on foreign aid. If we as professionals can offer our services for free, we ask those with the means to help us build this hospital. We must rise up and do something,” he stated.
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