
Our Work in Tanzania
With geographical barriers and limited medical professionals, families in northern Tanzania face challenges in accessing basic healthcare, let alone specialized cleft care. Through our partnership with Bugando Medical Centre, more families can now access year-round, Comprehensive Care.
Families participating in a workshop on cleft care.
Cleft Care in Tanzania Today
Tanzania has one of the lowest doctor-to-patient ratios worldwide, with just 1 doctor for every 20,000 people. This shortage particularly affects access to specialized care, such as treatment for conditions like cleft. Learn more in our podcast episode ‘Innovators in Action: Speech and Surgery Collaboration in Ethiopia and Tanzania’.
With the majority (63%) of Tanzania’s population living in rural areas, access to services is limited due to the sparse distribution of healthcare facilities.
Our work in Tanzania focuses on raising awareness about cleft conditions in the Lake Zone Region, to help affected children reach full rehabilitation.
Fast Facts
- Population: 56,497,000
- Capital: Dodoma
- Poverty Line: 26% of population
- Cleft Incidence: 2,950+ / year

Key Challenges
Community Engagement
Many families are unaware that cleft is a treatable condition. Clinicians dedicate significant effort to engaging communities and their leaders about cleft and its treatment.Speech Therapy
There are less than 10 speech therapists in Tanzania. Our program aims to raise awareness among local governments and communities about the need for speech therapy.Newborn Nutrition
34% of children in Tanzania face chronic malnutrition. Increasing community awareness of Bugando’s existing nutrition programs is helping to alleviate these challenges for children in districts around Mwanza.
Bugando at a Glance
Dedicated CCC professionals building Tanzania’s first CCC centre.
Square kilometres served by Bugando across its 4 regions: Kagera, Mwanza, Shinyanga, and Mara.
Community health leaders have received training on how to identify cleft lip and palate and support families.
“We, as current practitioners, have learned from the seniors, and must be able to come up with new information and build the capacity for the coming generation… I think we have a duty really to advance Comprehensive Cleft Care.”
- Dr. Francis Tegete, Plastic and reconstructive surgeon,
Bugando Medical Centre
Stories from Tanzania

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 Tanzania since 2024.
Our Partnerships in Tanzania
- Bugando Medical Centre, Mwanza
- Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania (CCBRT), Dar es Salaam