Sulaimania is in the semi-autonomous region of Iraq. The low socio-economic status of the region combined with its troubled recent history means that there are many children and adults with untreated clefts or with clefts that have been operated on inadequately. The consequences for these patients are that they may end up disfigured and more often than not, the muscles of the palate will not have been repaired properly either.

The multi-disciplinary cleft centre in Sulaimania is the first of its kind in the country and sees many patients each year. Many more cleft patients live far from the hospital however, and cannot afford to come for treatment. Those that do make it find the many disciplines required to treat a cleft working together as one. The centre is also lucky to have Nozad Chamni, Iraq's only Speech and Language Therapist.

CLEFT is working with the centre in Sulaimania and hopes to be able to invite some of the team to the UK when Covid allows, to train with the cleft team at Great Ormond Street Hospital. 

If you would like to take part in a fundraising event to raise vital funds for the cleft centre in Sulaimania please click here.