FIMA Year Book 2010-2011 - Federation of Islamic Medical ...

FIMA SaveSmile
Parvaiz Malik *
FIMA SaveSmile
Parvaiz Malik *
Abstract:
Several African countries, including Sudan, have marked incidence of various types of orofacial birth
defects, with significant lack of qualified surgeons and healthcare teams, to minimize the overall
management burden. While these congenital anomalies are not life threatening, they have significant
implications on nutritional, speech, psychosocial and low self-esteem aspects of human development.
Within relief activities of the Federation of Islamic Medical Associations (FIMA), this correctable
problem was discussed. It was decided to pioneer a project of programmed surgical correction by
volunteering qualified surgical teams in needy developing countries, especially in Africa, with special
attention to train local surgeons in an effort to widen this activity by local hands.
This presentation outlines the initial steps implemented, primarily in Sudan.
Key words: Cleft lip/palate, Orofacial defects, FIMA relief, SaveSmile.
Background:
Cleft lip/palate is one of the world’s most common
congenital malformations and happens in one out
of 500-700 children born across the globe 1,2 . Its
onset is very early in pregnancy and is a result of
failure of mesenchymal migration to unite one or
both of the maxillary prominences with the medial
nasal prominences, resulting in a unilateral or
bilateral cleft of the lip, respectively 2,3 . It occurs
more commonly in males and is caused by genetic
and environmental factors 2-4 . It can be associated
with other anomalies 4 .
A recent consortium of scientists supported by
National Institute of Health, identified two human
genes that, when inherited in a slightly altered
form, may play a role in cleft lip/palate 5 .
These two genes are called MAFB and ABCA4.
Cleft lip/palate can be unilateral or bilateral,
complete or incomplete.
Objective:
The main objective of this article is to introduce a
new project launched by the Federation of Islamic
Medical Associations (FIMA), called FIMA
SaveSmile. The project will implement the task of
coordinating cleft lip/palate surgeries performed
by IMA’s surgeons, identifying the locations for
the camps, facilitate communications with the host
country through local IMA’s and record the data
of its activities.
*Dr. Parvaiz Malik
Plastic Surgeon, Princeton NJ, USA
President FIMA 2009-2013
E-mail: pmalikmd@gmail.com
FIMA YearBook 2010-2011
95