Cleft Summit 2023: How NGOs can Promote Development of Sustainable Interdisciplinary Cleft Care

ObjectiveThe 2^nd Cleft Summit aimed to understand what policies and actions various cleft-centered non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can adopt to achieve sustainable, patient-centered, interdisciplinary cleft care.DesignA Summit of global leaders in interdisciplinary cleft care.SettingA two-hour discussion within a three-and-a-half-day International Comprehensive Cleft Care Workshop (CCCW).ParticipantsTwenty-eight global leaders from various cleft-focused specialties.InterventionsThe Second Cleft Summit was held to collaboratively improve understanding among global cleft leaders regarding the role and responsibility of NGOs to provide sustainable interdisciplinary cleft care.Main Outcome MeasuresThe summit's primary objective was to explore and develop strategies to strengthen interdisciplinary cleft care, particularly in resource-limited settings.ResultsParticipants agreed on the need to shift NGO focus toward interdisciplinary, patient-centered care that extends beyond a single program to include long-term follow-up. They also strongly encouraged empowering on-site medical providers and teams through bidirectional education (lectures, case discussions) and capacity-building (workshops, simulation). Health system strengthening emerged as a uniformly viable pathway to ensuring sustainable care delivery while diminishing the footprint of international NGOs.ConclusionThe summit emphasized the need for systemic strengthening of the health delivery infrastructure alongside education and capacity-building. Whenever feasible, NGOs should collaborate with local governments and regional stakeholders through a bidirectional exchange of knowledge and skills.