By Melanie Paxton, Health Policy and Advocacy Department, Operation Smile — Almost 17% of the world’s population lives in Africa, but most of them lack access to safe anesthesia due to a severe shortage of anesthesia workforce. The disparity between high-income countries and low-income countries is alarming. The United States, for example, has an average of 20 physician anesthesia providers per…

By Mikyla Jade Rata, Global Surgery Fellow, Operation Smile — While working as a general surgeon in Zimbabwe, Dr. Dennis Mazingi found that the most inspirational patients he encountered were the children in the pediatric surgical ward. He was inspired by their bravery and amazing capacity to recover from devastating surgical conditions. However, Dr. Mazingi also observed many children with…

By John Streit, Managing Editor, Operation Smile — I’m experiencing some cognitive dissonance here. Take a look at the following two health awareness months: National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month National Birth Defects Awareness Month Both are rallying support to spread attention and recognition around congenital conditions. Yet, the first leaves me feeling more inclined to…

Dr. Allyn Auslander, Associate Vice President of Research, Operation Smile This article was originally published on the International Business Times. I’ve been lucky (and privileged) enough to travel to many low- and middle-income countries for my research. The commonalities I’ve seen are comforting and inspirational — the kindness of families…

Marc Ascher, Photo Editor and Photographer, Operation Smile — Good ideas and good intentions can always be made better with a little insight. After my first Operation Smile medical mission more than 20 years ago, I was struck that the children who came to the hospital had no toys with them. The parents I know can’t drive down the…

Kendra Davenport, Chief Development Officer, Operation Smile — Much has been written about how the pandemic has changed the way we work, interact with colleagues, approach our professions and manage the new stresses it has created. No matter your profession — whether it be blue- or white-collar — chances are you are not operating the same way you…

Ernest Gaie, Senior Advisor Global Business Operations, Operation Smile — In 2015, the Lancet Global Health medical journal published a report that revealed an alarming five billion people do not have access to safe surgical care when they need it. Additionally, 17 million lives are lost every year from surgically treatable conditions. Surgery is a critical component of an effective…

By Kendra E. Davenport, Chief Development Officer, Operation Smile — Much is written about confidence possessed by successful leaders and how that self-assurance draws people to them, inspiring people to follow their lead. But there is a fine line between confidence and arrogance. For women, this line is difficult to straddle and critical judgement of female leaders for being confident…

By John Streit, Managing Editor and Writer, Operation Smile — In that moment, I was surprised — but I shouldn’t have been. “Why would this man be so angry with me?” I wondered, dumbfounded and naïve. He was one of the merchants at a large public bead market in Koforidua, Ghana, where our crew set out to capture footage that…