‘Smiles Change Lives’ Campaign Helps Children with a Cleft Condition

In spring 2021, GSK Consumer Healthcare and Smile Train, an influential worldwide NGO dealing with patients with a cleft condition, announced a strategic international partnership to support integrated care services, including surgery and treatment for children with cleft lip and palate in more than 90 countries, including Romania. The partners aim to provide at least 13,500 free, safe and high-quality cleft repair surgeries within the next five years through this project.

The campaign’s main objectives are: discussing and signing new institutional and non-institutional partnerships with the authorities and the civil society, actively contributing to improving the lives of children with a cleft condition by providing treatment for patients and eliminating the stigma often associated with it, raising awareness among the public and the medical community.

Many children born with cleft lip and palate don’t get the treatment they deserve because parents aren’t always aware of the options for treatment or funding. We are proud to be a part of this project and improve, as much as possible, the lives of children affected by cleft conditions. Our goal is to raise awareness among the parents of these children regarding the available options for treatment and among the oral health care professionals. The joint effort of all parties involved supported the funding of the surgeries and training for the medical team in charge of these patients. Alongside our partners, we are taking important steps towards creating the legal framework and the opportunity necessary for every child with cleft to be treated safely and as soon as possible.

Nigel Stephenson, GSK Consumer Healthcare Romania & Moldova General Manager.

The funds raised within the campaign” Smiles Change Lives” are currently being used for supporting Smile Train programs, including the ones carried out at Maria Sklodowska Curie Clinical Children’s Hospital in Bucharest and also for the acquisition of high-performance surgical equipment used in the cleft lip and palate surgical procedures, supporting international training for the medical team with regards to before and after cleft surgical correction treatments, the acquisition of orthodontic equipment, postoperative care for patients.  

Maria Sklodowska Curie Clinical Hospital remains our strategic partner here in Romania. We look forward to concluding other institutional and non-institutional partnerships. Until then, we remain open to dialogue. Also, with regards to cleft medical procedures, we want to see the medical services in this hospital grow and improve, that’s why we continue to invest in education, in surgical and non-surgical programs, to raise awareness regarding the cleft condition, to reach as many patients as possible around the country, and try to change the lives of these patients and their families.

Shannon Lambert, Vice President & Regional Director, Americas & Europe Smile Train.  

The oral health care professionals very well received the campaign. Having the chance to help improve the quality of the treatment for cleft palate surgery makes us grateful. During 2020-2021, we have carried out approximately 80 cleft surgical correction procedures with the support of Smile Train. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, we carried out around 120-150 surgeries/year, so we faced a significant decrease in these surgeries. But now we are optimistic, and we expect an increase in these procedures in the future. Our work translates into helping these patients reap the benefits of the surgical correction (a more pleasant physical look, a good speech quality, improved self-esteem).

Associate Professor Dr. Radu Spătaru, Medical Director of Maria Sklodowska Curie Clinical Children’s Hospital.

Experts say the main challenges for patients’ families are represented by limited access to the social health system, as well as the insufficient number of doctors compared to a large number of cases. Due to average or low incomes, many parents cannot afford to pay for treatments and medical care services in the private medical system. Moreover, the post-surgery orthodontic treatment is not supported by The National Health Insurance House (NHIH). Another main objective of the campaign is to financially support the patients’ necessary orthodontic treatment prescribed until 18.

About GSK / GSK Consumer Healthcare:

GSK is a science-led global healthcare company with a particular purpose: to help people do more, feel better, live longer. We have three international businesses: pharmaceutical medicines, vaccines, and consumer healthcare products.

GSK Consumer Healthcare is one of the world’s largest consumer healthcare companies. We own some of the world’s best-loved healthcare brands, including Sensodyne, Voltaren, Parodontax, Panadol, Corega, Otrivin. These brands are successful in over 100 countries worldwide because they all show our passion for quality, guaranteed by science. They are inspired by the actual wants and needs of the millions of people who walk into pharmacies, supermarkets, market stalls and go online all over the world every day and choose us first. For more information, please visit www.gsk.com

About Smile Train

Smile Train empowers local medical professionals with training, funding, and resources to provide free cleft surgery and comprehensive cleft care to children globally. We advance a sustainable solution and scalable global health model for cleft treatment, drastically improving children’s lives, including their ability to eat, breathe, speak, and ultimately thrive. To learn more about how Smile Train’s sustainable approach means donations have both an immediate and long-term impact, please visit smiletrain.org.