Our Work in Madagascar
Madagascar is challenged by high rates of poverty. Families typically reside in remote areas, sometimes served by medical missions. We’re partnering so families can access cleft care year-round.
Rural families accessing cleft care gather for a meal at the clinic’s accommodation grounds.
Cleft Care in Madagascar Today
As a remote island nation with a strained healthcare system, Madagascar has largely relied on fly-in surgical missions as the only source of cleft care. This stopgap solution became particularly problematic during the COVID pandemic when international travel came to a halt and children could not even access surgical care, let alone any long-term follow-up.
In 2021, we started a partnership with Clinique Santé Plus with aspirations to solve this problem by collaborating on the nation’s first Comprehensive Cleft Care centre. Santé Plus is working to ensure children have access to permanent, ongoing care locally and advocating for the importance of a comprehensive approach within the communities they operate.
You can hear more about the historical impacts of the surgical mission approach in Madagascar, and how we’re partnering to deliver CCC in Madagascar in this podcast.
Fast Facts
- Population: 29,612,000
- Capital: Antananarivo
- Below Poverty Line: 80%
- Cleft Incidence: 480+/ year
Key Challenges
Newborn Nutrition
Malnutrition is a common occurrence for babies in Madagascar, a problem amplified by frequent natural disasters. A healthy weight must be achieved for safe cleft surgery.
Community Engagement
Awareness of cleft and about the availability of local, comprehensive care is still very limited with many families waiting on missions for treatment.
Transportation Assistance
With only one comprehensive centre in the entire country, families require support to travel long distances and face lost wages.
Program Successes
Children accessed Comprehensive Cleft Care at our partner hospital in 2022
Team members currently support a full Circle of Care for families, a marked increase since launching the project with a single specialist in 2021
Nurses/midwives trained in speech therapy with our support, a specialty with no formal training program currently available in-country
“Traditionally, Malagasy families have had to pay 2 or 3 months' salary just for their child's surgery. Without access to no-cost Comprehensive Cleft Care, treatment is out of the question for them.”
- Dr. Nirina Mandrano, Cleft Surgeon
Stories of Success
When Vasi and Atanas first met 1-year-old Hristo in an orphanage in Bulgaria, they felt an instant connection. Hristo had been given to the orphanage due to his cleft lip and palate. Three other families had considered adopting him, however, perceptions of the cleft journey ultimately changed minds. For Vasi and Atanas, Hristo would complete…
In many communities, unhelpful beliefs about cleft are burdensome for families. For parents, their minds are busied with questions of “why” this has happened to them and what caused this condition to affect their family. With the right support from a dedicated cleft team, families can overcome the noise and fears to help their children…
Brandon is from Lampa in the mountainous region of Northern Chile. No one knew why he struggled to speak clearly, and as soon as he started school, teasing and bullying became his everyday experience. Brandon’s parents were determined to help him thrive. They began reaching out to doctor after doctor. Finally, an answer. Brandon was…
Two-year-old tech-savvy Georgina doesn’t hesitate to call her grandma on WhatsApp when she wants to talk. When the TF team visited her, she was keen to show off her technology-inspired toys. And her favourite food to eat? French fries, even if her parents wish it were broccoli! Reflecting on their journey with Georgina’s cleft so…
In our impact report, we shared that, thanks to our monthly Bright Start donors, we were able to exceptionally arrange surgery for 11 children in the capital city, Yangon. Among those children, a photo of Yoon* and her father, Phyo was featured. Early in 2020, Phyo and his wife Aung learned they would be expecting…
Dan, a bicycle mechanic, and Hellen, a stay-at-home mother, reside on the shores of the swampy Lake Kyoga, along with their two children – Janet and Innocent. In mid-2021, they expanded their family and welcomed a third child, who they would name Esther. It wasn’t until the delivery day that the local health centre discovered…
Our Partners in Cleft Care
TF has been supporting partners in Madagascar since 2021.
Our Partnerships in Madgascar
- Clinique Santé Plus, Antsirabe
- Clinique et Maternité Fanantenana, Mahajanga