Sierra Leone: The District Health Management Team (DHMT) has on Saturday 24th April, 2021, joined other districts in Sierra Leone to officially launch a sensitization and awareness raising campaign on CLEFT LIP and CLEFT PALATE in Bonthe District. The ceremony which was held at the District Council Conference Hall in Mattru Jong, attracted over seventy stakeholders drawn from all the eleven (11) chiefdoms and the Bonthe Municipality including Chiefs, Councillors, CSO’s, private and public health facility workers, the media and staff of the Bonthe District Health Management Team (DHMT)
In his opening remarks, chairman of ceremony who also doubles as deputy chairman for Bonthe District Council Willie M. Parker commended the District Medical Officer and Team for organising an awareness raising campaign on what he described as health conditions many people believe is associated with witchcraft, Juju and curse. He encouraged the DHMT to do more awareness raising and community mobilization activities especially in the rural towns and villages in the district, where children suffering from such conditions are allegedly neglected and left to die by their parents or relatives who are ashamed of their conditions. Parker on behalf of the District Council promised that he will ensure the message reaches his colleague Councilors who in turn will take the information to their respective wards. Councilor Foday Bah on behalf of Bonthe Municipal Council expressed similar sentiment and promised to support the sensitization especially in the coastal communities.
Delivering the key note address, the District Medical Officer Dr Prince E.K. Masuba referred to CLEFT LIP and PALATE as common birth defects which can be genetic and results in an opening in the roof of the mouth (Palate) and the lip. CLEFT according to Dr. Masuba could affect the lip, the palate or can even affect both the lip and palate. “It sometimes affects nose formation and can disturb breathing’’ he went on. Prince Masuba disclosed that children with such condition are likely to be presented with difficulty in speaking, feeding, hearing, nasal congestion or snoring. Speaking on its prevalence in Bonthe District, Prince Masuba informed there is one case of either Lip or Palate CLEFT in every one hundred live birth.
Highlighting some of the dangers associated with such conditions, the District Medical officer said it often leads to death, facial deformation, speech defect, stigma and social exclusion amongst several others. The District Medical Officer (DMO) used the opportunity to call on authorities and members of the public to report the condition to the nearest health facility in their localities, the DHMT office in Mattru Jong or even call telephone numbers on the Smile Train fliers which they shared among participant. According to him, the treatment of both CLEFT Lip and Palate is totally free of cost. Very soon he added, surgeons will be sent to Ghana for training who upon completion of their course will handle all CLEFT surgeries dealing mainly with children in the South and Eastern Regions of the country. Smile Train is an international organisation that is providing funding to support the CLEFT interventions nationwide. The organisation he furthered, is partnering with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and the Bonthe District Health Management Team to intensify awareness raising on CLEFT LIP and CLEFT PALATE using various communication mediums and channels through production and airing of jingles in local languages, live radio discussions and town hall meetings.
Pregnant women were cautioned to control their eating habit and to avoid blind medication which can be harmful to their unborn babies.
Meaningful contributions from the district health sister one, Zainab Kamara and the town chief of Mattru Jong Chief Edna Tucker ended the launching.
By Amara Brima