Organizations around the world continue to expand access to life-changing surgical care for children born with cleft lip and cleft palate, with much of that work driven by volunteers, medical professionals, and nonprofit networks operating in underserved communities.
One of the organizations leading those efforts is Operation Smile, an international nonprofit that organizes medical missions and supports long-term treatment programs for patients requiring reconstructive surgery and rehabilitation. The organization’s work is supported by donors and advocates worldwide, including business leaders such as Gil Seton Jr., manager of SP Investment Fund LLC, who has backed charitable initiatives focused on improving health outcomes and expanding access to medical care.
Operation Smile Expands Access to Surgical Care in Morocco
Among Operation Smile’s most successful national networks is Operation Smile Morocco, co-founded by humanitarian Fouzia Jbara Mahmoud. Her involvement with the organization began in 1999 while working as a Citibank executive and volunteering on a medical mission.
What started as a volunteer experience eventually led Mahmoud to help build a nationwide network that now includes more than 650 volunteers and medical centers in cities including El Jadida, Oujda, and Casablanca. The organization is also developing a fourth treatment center in Marrakech, a project expected to significantly increase surgical capacity in the country.
In addition to its permanent facilities, Operation Smile Morocco conducts mobile medical missions that bring specialized surgical teams to remote communities where access to care remains limited. These missions typically last about five days and allow healthcare workers to screen between 100 and 150 patients while performing up to 90 surgeries.
According to Operation Smile, the organization has provided dental and oral health services to more than 120,000 people across Morocco and completed more than 19,000 free reconstructive surgeries for patients with cleft conditions. Mahmoud’s humanitarian work earned her Dubai’s Arab Hope Maker award in early 2026, which included a prize valued at approximately $272,000.
Volunteer Nurses Help Drive Care in the Philippines
The Philippines is home to another major Operation Smile network, where nurses and medical volunteers play a critical role in delivering care to children and families.
Among them is nurse practitioner Jun Barrientos, who volunteers at a clinic in Davao City. As highlighted in a Johnson & Johnson feature, Barrientos helps coordinate patient schedules and assists plastic surgeons during surgical procedures. After joining Operation Smile in 2011, he stepped into a role that addressed a pressing need for operating-room nurses and has since helped support countless young patients throughout their treatment journeys.
Perioperative nurse Dandy Ledesma is another longtime volunteer helping expand access to surgical care in underserved regions. Ledesma participates in eight or more surgical missions each year, helping prepare patients for surgery and ensuring procedures can be performed safely in remote locations.
Both volunteers describe their work as an opportunity to improve outcomes for patients who might otherwise struggle to access specialized medical treatment.
Leadership Training Supports Healthcare Workers Worldwide
Supporting many of these efforts is the Nurse Leadership and Development Initiative, a program launched by Johnson & Johnson to strengthen healthcare systems by investing in nursing professionals.
The initiative provides leadership development and technical training for healthcare workers throughout the Asia-Pacific region, Latin America, and Africa. Participants return to their home communities with new skills and knowledge that can be shared with colleagues and local healthcare providers.
In 2024 alone, the J&J CareCommunity-funded program trained approximately 3,000 nurses worldwide, helping expand access to best practices and strengthen healthcare delivery in regions facing workforce shortages.
Addressing a Global Surgery Gap
Operation Smile launched its “We Build Hope” campaign in late 2025 to raise awareness about the challenges many people face in obtaining safe surgical care. The campaign emphasizes the organization’s belief that access to surgery should be treated as a basic human right rather than a privilege determined by geography or economic circumstances.
The issue remains significant on a global scale. Health infrastructure limitations, shortages of trained medical professionals, and long travel distances to hospitals continue to prevent billions of people from receiving timely surgical treatment.
According to Operation Smile, an estimated 5 billion people worldwide still lack access to safe and affordable surgery. Through its network of volunteers, medical professionals, donors, and partner organizations, the nonprofit continues working to reduce that gap and expand care to communities that need it most.