Blog

Click to view the full Presentation

WE NEED PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR THE BUILDING OF ABUJA CRANIOFACIAL HOSPITAL FOR THE POOR, being the theme of an address by Dr Seidu Bello, Executive Director, Cleft & Facial Deformity Foundation at the opening ceremony of ‘team 28’ free cleft and facial deformity surgery programme holding on Tuesday 14^th May, 2024 at FMC KEFFI, NASARAWA STATE..

Protocols

Facial Deformities is a group of diseases that present not just with body pain, but immense

Psychological disturbance brought by social stigmatization. Affected people are socially

Dislocated, have their potentials decimated, hence special attention is needed.

Proposed ABUJA CRANIOFACIAL HOSPITAL was conceived as an hospital to offer free surgery to  indigent patients with craniofacial diseases. It sits on on a land  of 7,200m²  in size, located at Sabon Karshi, Nassarawa State, which is about one hour drive from Abuja city centre. Approved Plan of the building has been secured and some preliminary work has commenced.

When completed, it comprises of Administrative building, Theatre, Private ward as well as male and Female wards. Estimated Cost of building of the hospital is about 1.2 billion naira ($1,000,000). The centre, which will be an advanced craniofacial centre, will provide needed access to comprehensive craniofacial surgery all over Africa and in addition will provide  Research and Training.

We hereby solicit for public support for the building of the hospital for the poor.

From our experience, facial deformities could be divided into 4:

1. Facial clefts (Cleft lip and Palate): Openings on the lip and palate. Patients are born with the condition (Congenital defects). In most cases, causes are unknown but occasionally genetics and some environmental factors could be responsible.
2. Facial Tumor: Refers to various facial swellings that can occur. They are acquired and the causes are unknown in most cases. This occurs at all ages.
3. Locked Jaw {TMJ (Temporo mandibular joint) Ankylosis}: Refers to inability to open the mouth. Usually occurs as a result of ear infection in infancy that spread from the ear to the joint. It could also be due to trauma to the joint in infancy.
4. Noma: This is a condition that presents with extreme facial distortion that can range from minor to some grotesque facial deformities. However unlike cleft lip and palate, children are not born with Noma , instead it occurs as a result of childhood mouth disease that is occasioned by under-nutrition. The disease has been eliminated from the Western world by the end of 19^th century, but is still persistent in Africa due to poverty and under-nutrition.

All these entities have one thing in common: Stigmatization, decimation of children potential, societal dislocation and ‘children out of school syndrome’.

CLEFT & FACIAL DEFORMITY FOUNDATION (CFDF) was conceived about 13 years ago to serve as a platform to proffer a Nigerian solution to Nigerian problem of facial deformity scourge by creating awareness and assisting the less privileged with free surgery. It has in its fold a conglomerate of Nigerian volunteer professionals that are capable of carrying out surgeries on children and adults that are afflicted with facial deformities.

The aim and objectives of the foundation are:

1. To sensitize the Nigerian populace about the scourge of CLP as well as other facial deformities in the society.
2. To assist the predominantly poor victims (or their parents) in the repair of the facial deformities; only foreigners have shown interest so far in this respect.

3.To  promote research in the field of CLP; establishing good data base, assist in training and joining similar organizations all over the world in improving quality of care.

4. To establish a facial deformity hospital in Nigeria, to offer free care for the less privileged.

Our journey in the past 13 years has been challenging and fulfilling. We have traversed various hospitals in  FCT, Niger, Kogi, Taraba, Edo, Katsina, Oyo, Nassarawa and Delta States. We have succeeded in creating awareness about the scourge of facial deformities in various communities. We have operated on close to 4500 patients out of about 7000 patients in attendance.

The present 28^th edition has witnessed a massive turnout of patients with different kind of facial deformities. As at today, 75 patients have registered. We have operated on 12 while surgery continues for one week with a target of 50 patients. It is obvious that we cannot attend to everybody which is a wakeup call to the reality that the facial deformities are not rare.

For the realization of this team 28 festival, we are greatly indebted to the following:

• TYDanjuma Foundation who is the major sponsor of this programme. Our sponsors are here as General TY Danjuma is ever delighted to assist the poor.
• Smiletrain international that support cleft programme all over the world.
• The FMC, KEFFI administration for the approval of the hospital for use, and maximum cooperation we have enjoyed so far.
• My fellow ever resilient and never tired team members and volunteers.
• Wonderful and supportive staff of  FMC, KEFFI..
• My family members who have all virtually become CFDF Foundation members.

In conclusion, it is absolutely unacceptable that Nigerians still go about with glaring psychological disturbance of facial deformities in our society while the rest of us look elsewhere.  Facial deformity is not an exclusive disease of the poor but the care of it requires funds and technical know-how. If professionals like us can come together to carry out free surgeries, it is important that healthy individuals support us with funds so as to continue this good work as the era of depending on foreigners for funding is gradually coming to an end. WE MUST RISE UP AND DO SOMETHING. WE NEED PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR THE BUILDING OF ABUJA CRANIOFACIAL HOSPITAL FOR THE POOR .

Thank you.