With your help, we build local capacity to provide surgery and comprehensive care for thousands of children each year. We know that people in low-resource environments are more than capable of revolutionizing the delivery of care and creating solutions to the problems their people face. All they need are the resources to make it happen.
We currently provide world-class cleft care in 36 countries supported by more than 6,000 volunteers from 60 countries.
Where We Work
Operation Smile works with local health care providers, governments and hospitals to deliver the most effective and safe surgical care to patients. We have foundations and offices all around the world. Please contact our global headquarters, and we'll connect you with the appropriate people.
Operation Smile established a presence in Australia in 1999.
Operation Smile's first surgical program in Bolivia was held in 1999.
Operation Smile's first surgical program in Brazil was held in 1997.
Operation Smile established a presence in Canada in 2011.
Operation Smile's first surgical program in China was held in 1991.
Operation Smile's first surgical program in Colombia was held in 1988.
Operation Smile's first surgical program in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was held in 2009.
Operation Smile's first surgical program in the Dominican Republic was held in 2009.
Operation Smile's first surgical program in Ecuador was held in 1995.
Operation Smile's first surgical program in Egypt was held in 2006.
Operation Smile's first surgical program in Ethiopia was held in 2005.
Operation Smile's first surgical program in Ghana was held in 2011.
Operation Smile's first surgical program in Guatemala was held in 2011.
Operation Smile's first surgical program in Honduras was held in 1997.
Operation Smile's first surgical program in India was held in 2002.
Operation Smile's first surgical program in Jordan was held in 2000.
Operation Smile's first surgical program in Kenya was held in 1987.
Operation Smile's first surgical program in Madagascar was held in 2007.
Operation Smile's first surgical program in Malawi was held in 2012.
Operation Smile's first surgical program in Mexico was held in 2006.
Operation Smile's first surgical program in Morocco was held in 1998.
Operation Smile's first surgical program in Mozambique was held in 2014.
Operation Smile's first surgical program in Panama was held in 1991.
Operation Smile's first surgical program in Paraguay was held in 2005.
Operation Smile's first surgical program in Peru was held in 1999.
Operation Smile's first surgical program in the Philippines was held in 1982.
Operation Smile's first surgical program in Rwanda was held in 2010.
Operation Smile's first surgical program in South Africa was held in 2006.
Operation Smile established a presence in Sweden in 2010.
Operation Smile's first surgical program in Thailand was held in 1997.
Operation Smile established a presence in the United Kingdom in 2001.
Dr. Bill Magee and Kathy Magee founded Operation Smile in 1982 in Norfolk, Virginia.
Operation Smile's first surgical program in Vietnam was held in 1989.
- Australia
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Canada
- China
- Colombia
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
- Ghana
- Guatemala
- Haiti
- Honduras
- India
- Ireland
- Italy
- Jordan
- Kenya
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mexico
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Norway
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Russia
- Rwanda
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
Strengthening the Health Workforce
Globally, 5 billion people do not have access to essential surgical care. The lack of adequately trained surgical teams forces people to wait years for treatment. We want to alleviate this suffering by empowering local health care workers through training and education.
Nearly 80% of our medical volunteers are health care professionals from the low- and middle-income countries we serve. We're investing in strengthening health systems and partnering with universities, nonprofits and governments with one mission in mind: to increase access to safe surgical and comprehensive care.
We offer education programs across several fields, including surgery, anesthesia, nursing, biomed, pediatrics, oral health, nutrition, speech and psychosocial care. From mentorship programs and training rotations to online learning opportunities and in-person instruction, Operation Smile is committed to ensuring that more qualified and trained providers can care for more patients in more places.
A New Generation of Plastic Surgeons
Providing Patient Care
We provide direct patient care through short-term surgical and nonsurgical programs, comprehensive care centers and hospital partnerships. We work with local community leaders to create solutions that deliver the highest quality of care possible.
Short-Term Programs
Over the years, we’ve perfected the surgical program model. On an international surgical program, medical and nonmedical volunteers from around the world come together and work seamlessly to deliver exceptional care to our patients. During local surgical programs, the same quality of care is provided, but it is delivered by local health care professionals.
Planning a short-term surgical program can take months. Our dedicated patient coordinators execute country-wide awareness and recruitment campaigns in advance to advertise the services we provide. At the same time, our program coordinators handle the logistics required to secure the supplies and the space need to host our patients, their families and our volunteers. The program itself lasts less than two weeks and includes health screenings, speech and nutrition therapy, dental care, surgery and post-operative care. For a closer look at our surgical programs, check out at these scenes of hope and healing from Peru, Mozambique and India.
Year-Round Centers of Care
Our patients’ need for care doesn’t stop when a short-term surgical program ends. That’s why we operate 33 care centers in 18 countries that provide year-round solutions for those who require more complex treatment than a single program can provide. At these centers, patients receive free services including dentistry, orthodontics, speech therapy, nutritional counseling, psychosocial care, and cleft and orthognathic surgeries from our dedicated staff and volunteers.
Hospital Partnerships
Operation Smile partners with nearly 200 hospitals in the countries we work. These partnerships take a variety of forms, with some offering us space to conduct surgical interventions and operations, and some providing ongoing care via surgeons or care providers who are affiliated with us. These hospital partnerships provide an ongoing avenue for care for patients with cleft conditions and facilitate increased collaboration between Operation Smile staff and volunteers and high-level health care providers in the countries we work.
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Every three minutes, a child is born with a cleft condition. Your gift today will help transform lives and increase access to essential surgical care.
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