This World Breastfeeding Week (August 1-7), Operation Smile is highlighting the importance of breastfeeding and the need to support mothers, especially those caring for infants with cleft conditions. Infants born with cleft conditions are 9 times more likely to die within their first year of life than other infants – and feeding challenges contribute significantly to this risk.
From Friday 24 July to Sunday 26 July, more than 220 patients received specialist healthcare during a successful three-day programme at Rob Ferreira Hospital in Mbombela.
Delivered by Operation Smile South Africa, in partnership with the Mpumalanga Department of Health, the programme combined life-changing cleft surgery with a free community dental initiative.
If you, or a family member has a cleft lip and/or cleft palate – come to the Rob Ferreira Hospital in Mbombela on 24 July for health screening to assess your suitability to receive free surgery and comprehensive cleft care.
Delivered by Operation Smile South Africa, in partnership with the Mpumalanga Department of Health, the programme will take place from Friday 24 to Sunday 26 July 2026.
From 5–7 June 2026, Operation Smile South Africa hosted a Speech Therapy and Psycho-social Support Camp at Mthatha, in the Eastern Cape.
Aimed at addressing the critical gap in comprehensive cleft care for children and families living in rural communities, the camp provided speech therapy and psycho social support to 24 patients.
On 29 May, 50 Operation Smile volunteer health professionals from across the country converged at Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital in Johannesburg for a weekend of life-changing cleft surgery.
From the first day of health screenings – where 54 young patients were thoroughly examined and 40 cleared for surgery – to the joyful moments in the recovery ward, our hearts overflowed with pride and gratitude for the privilege of being part of this life-changing work.
Operation Smile South Africa will return to the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital on 29 May 2026 for a weekend of free cleft lip and palate surgeries aimed at reducing the backlog of patients waiting for treatment.