[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.22″][et_pb_row admin_label=”Row” _builder_version=”4.5.3″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.5.3″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_video src=”https:\/\/mena.gsmile.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/09\/Usama_video-Beirut_2021.mp4″ _builder_version=”4.5.3″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-64px|||||” hover_enabled=”0″ title_text=”Usama_video Beirut_2021″][\/et_pb_video][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.5.3″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”]GSF and GSF-MENA are providing comprehensive cleft care for underserved patients born with cleft lip\/palate.
\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
GSF and GSF-MENA are providing comprehensive cleft care for underserved patients born with cleft lip\/palate.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"Although GSF has paused travel due the current pandemic, our dedicated staff and volunteers around the world continue to provide patient care though Telehealth programs. These online consultations bring together US-based volunteers, in-country volunteers, and patient families for follow-up and ongoing care.\r\n\r\nTelehealth is enabling GSF to maintain our core commitment to our patients and their long-term health and wellbeing. The GSF-MENA team has been communicating with patients to provide speech and feeding consultations as well as check-in on general health.\r\n\r\nThe next GSF mission is scheduled for November 11-22, 2020 in Beirut, Lebanon. We are hopeful that this mission will be possible because there is a long list of patients waiting for the GSF team. We will continue to monitor the current situation and have increased our safety efforts in response to COVID-19.\r\n\r\nEven before the pandemic began, the demand for comprehensive cleft care in Beirut was urgent. While cleft is one of the most common birth defects in the world, the Middle East has some of the highest rates of children born with clefts--on average 3-4 times higher than those in more developed countries. In addition, the ongoing humanitarian crises in the region have brought more than 1.5 million refugees to Lebanon from Syria, Iran and other neighboring countries. Currently, 60% of our patient population in Beirut is made up of refugees who lack access to basic resources, including healthcare.\r\n\r\nOver the past 3 years, GSF and GSF-MENA have worked closely with in-country partners as well as the United Nations Council on Human Rights (UNCHR) and UNICEF. We have become the largest provider of cleft care in the region and are eager to return to Beirut to change lives through comprehensive cleft care.","_et_gb_content_width":"","content-type":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n