Nyarko Cleft Care (NCC) is a UK registered charity dedicated to make a difference to the quality of life for those affected by cleft lip and palate. The charity is committed to improve existing services and establish a dedicated cleft centre in Africa. Promoting awareness and offering specialist surgical treatment for cleft lip and palate patients currently in Ghana with the hope to extend expert medical assistance to the neighbouring African countries. Children born in Africa with the condition face a bleak future, and probable death due to cultural misconception and the lack of modern birth supervision and appropriate guidance and treatment. Our ambition is to help develop a comprehensive, self-sufficient, accessible and affordable cleft lip and palate treatment centre in Ghana to make a difference to the lives of people affected by the condition and to support them to have hope and live life to the full.

Your support is very much needed to help make a difference!

Nyarko Cleft Care currently supports and provides cleft lip and palate treatment in Ghana. Cleft incidence in Ghana is 1:700. The Charity has put together a well-established visiting team (UK & European) which is committed to the establishment of a multidisciplinary cleft centre.

A reconnaissance visit to Ghana in 2005 highlighted crucial areas the charity needed to work on. We have made treatment programme visits since then and have carried out several corrective operations. Medical teachings are conducted during these visits.

The charity flew local clinicians to the UK to undertake training with consultants at Great Ormond Hospital. As a result we have been able to support and assist in developing a dedicated cleft clinic in Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi which is in the southern central of Ghana in the Ashanti region.

We also provide medical equipment’s to the clinic and financial assistance for the families towards treatment and transportation.

We have funded the registration of a number of children and their families on the Ghanaian National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) which enables them to benefit from the Ghana National Health Service. With this registration, it means that patients who do not have the financial means for private treatment would be able to get treatment from the clinic we have helped established.

We have also registered the local lead surgeon who is now being sponsored by Smile Train. This enables him to provide free treatment for those who do not have the financial means and have not yet registered on the Ghana NHIS.

The idea of this small charitable organisation is to eventually establish a self-sustained dedicated cleft lip and palate clinic that will support and provide treatment and information for children and families free of charge.

Our dedication continues!

In 2011 we started a second project to develop another clinic in Tamale in the northern part of Ghana. Establishing a Multidisciplinary Cleft centre in Tamale will not only benefit the 3 northern Regions in the country but also the northern part of the Ashanti region, and the neighbouring countries such as, Northern parts of Volta Region, Ivory coast and Togo; not forgetting the extended benefit to Burkina Faso. The international perspective of our vision makes Tamale teaching hospital the perfect location to help develop a self-sufficient clinic which would be able to service neighbouring countries.