The Unprecedented Complexity of Malnutrition, COVID-19, and Orofacial Cleft Care in Low- and Middle- Income Countries: An Opportunity for Change

Abstract

COVID-19 has created an unprecedented set of challenges across the global health world. In this commentary, the authors highlight a subset of patients that have been and will continue to be greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic but are unlikely to be part of the larger global health conversation. Due to the rising rates of food insecurity and malnutrition, the proportion of orofacial cleft patients in low- and middle- income countries that will require nutritional intervention prior to or in order to be eligible for surgery is rising at an unprecedented rate. NGOs, such as Operation Smile, will need to alter their program offerings and services to effectively serve their patient population- specifically a greater focus on nutrition. This piece covers both the problem at hand and Operation Smile’s initial actions into changing its programs to prepare for the growing nutritional needs of OFC patients.