More than 1,000 children with cleft lips or palates in Southwest China's Guizhou province are expected to receive free surgery from international medical experts through a charitable program by the end of 2015.
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"Data showed that at least 1,200 children in Guizhou with cleft lips and palates were waiting for treatment," said Ge Zhenjiang, deputy secretary-general of the China Population Welfare Foundation in Beijing.
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In partnership with the Alliance for Smiles Foundation, a San Francisco group dedicated to helping children in developing countries who have cleft lips and palates, as well as two other international charitable organizations, Ge's foundation has been running a program to provide free treatment for such children in China since 2002, he said.
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The program is called Happy Smiles - Helping Children with Cleft Lips and Palates.
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Asia's population has the highest ratio of cleft lip and palate, and in China, 1.8 percent of the population is affected, said Colin Wong, vice-president of the Alliance for Smiles Foundation and a professor of dentistry at the University of the Pacific in California.
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However, children in less- developed regions normally cannot be treated at the proper time because of a lack of money and information.
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"In Guizhou, poverty and insufficient knowledge of where to find help are the main reasons families don't get treatment for their children," Ge said.
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Xiao Jisong, a farmer in Guizhou's Fenggang county, said he and his wife were depressed after their daughter and son were both born with cleft lips.
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Xiao's 6-year-old daughter started primary school this year, and he said she was often laughed at by classmates.
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"It was such a relief when family planning officials told me that my two children were suitable candidates for free surgeries," he said.
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In one of a series of charity activities co-launched by the Chinese and international organizations, a team of 23 experienced medical experts from countries, including the United States, Britain, Canada andÂ
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Malaysia, volunteered to operate on about 80 children with cleft lips and palates at Zunyi No 1 People's Hospital from Oct 28 to Nov 10.
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Xiao's son, 4, underwent successful surgery on Wednesday, and his daughter received surgery on Saturday. The two children were discharged from the hospital on Sunday.
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Yi Ruhui's 10-month-old granddaughter also received free medical treatment. The infant's parents left her with her grandma 40 days after she was born to find work in big cities.
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"I'm very grateful for this opportunity," said the 43-year-old Yi, who lives in Suiyang county, Guizhou.Â
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