Kumar Bahukhandi
The world’s largest cleft-focused organization, Smile Train, concluded the Indo-Africa Cleft Conference in Goa today. Building on the initiative first established in 2012, Indo-Africa Synergy 2026 brought Smile Train’s India and Africa teams together to exchange knowledge and experience and collaborate towards advancing sustainable cleft care.
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Indo-Africa Cleft Conference Synergy 2026: Excelling Together
The conference brought together surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, speech therapists, orthodontists and multidisciplinary cleft care professionals from Smile Train’s two largest regions, reaffirming its commitment to stronger, locally led sustainable healthcare systems through collaboration, continuous learning and knowledge exchange.
Over the past decade, both India and Africa have made significant strides in expanding access to comprehensive cleft care in their own regions. Each region has developed unique areas of excellence shaped by real-world experience and field-led innovation. Indo-Africa Cleft Conference 2026 was designed to bring these learnings together, creating opportunities to exchange proven approaches, adopt best practices and jointly develop solutions that strengthen cleft care across both regions while contributing to Smile Train’s global pursuit of ensuring every child born with a cleft has access to safe, timely and comprehensive care.
Speaking on the occasion, Mamta Carroll, Senior Vice President and Regional Director, Asia, Smile Train, said, “Indo-Africa Synergy represents much more than a conference; it reflects how Smile Train believes sustainable change happens. Over the past decade, both India and Africa have built remarkable expertise through locally led program, and today we can learn from one another as equal partners. By sharing knowledge, strengthening skills and co-creating solutions, we are investing not only in healthcare professionals but also in better outcomes for every child born with a cleft. This collaboration demonstrates that when expertise is shared across borders, its impact extends far beyond any one country.”
Nkeiruka Obi, Vice President and Regional Director, Smile Train, Africa, added, “India and Africa bring together two of Smile Train’s largest and most experienced programs, each with deep expertise gained over years in providing safe and high-quality comprehensive cleft care within diverse local contexts. In our shared commitment to healthcare equity, this conference offers a valuable opportunity to learn from our experiences, share practical solutions, and innovations, while strengthening capacity of cleft care professionals. By advancing South–South collaboration, we truly can accelerate access to quality cleft care for more children and families in our communities.”
The two-day program featured expert discussions, knowledge sharing and hands-on workshops covering surgical excellence, patient safety and comprehensive cleft care. Participants also exchanged experiences on advocacy, engagement and healthcare system strengthening, recognizing that sustainable cleft care extends beyond surgery to encompass the entire continuum of care.
The conference truly reflects Smile Train’s sustainable model of strengthening local healthcare systems by investing in medical professionals through continuous training, mentorship and global knowledge exchange. By fostering collaboration between India and Africa, Smile Train is building stronger local capacity and advancing comprehensive cleft care for children in both regions.
Smile Train programs in Africa began in 2002 and since then, they have spread across nearly 40 countries, transforming the lives of 200,000+ cleft-affected individuals.
