Partners in African Cleft Training (PACT)
What is the PACT program?
Partners in African Cleft Training (PACT) is an international program to improve and expand access to cleft lip and palate care in sub-Saharan Africa.
This unique initiative trains health professionals in Ghana, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Liberia, Kenya, Tanzania and Madagascar to provide interdisciplinary team care for children with cleft lip and palate and to develop local education programs. Participants care for children in their own clinics and train providers in their countries and other African nations.
The program began as a collaboration between Seattle Children’s Hospital and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, Ghana. Since its founding in 2007, the program has trained more than 340 African healthcare providers.
What is the format of the PACT program?
PACT includes a yearly, week-long, in-person training workshop with participants from many disciplines (surgery, anesthesia, speech, orthodontics, pediatrics, nutrition, nursing and social work) modeling interdisciplinary team care. The workshop takes place in either Kumasi, Ghana, or Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and includes didactics, clinics and surgeries. Since 2021, we have also offered quarterly virtual seminars on topics of interest or case discussions.
How has PACT affected care?
Over the years, participants have expanded the size and makeup of their cleft teams. Many former PACT trainees now train other providers and lead cleft teams, bringing care to more people in sub-Saharan Africa.
Additional impacts from this program include:
- Design of the NIFTY cup (an infant feeding cup for infants with cleft palate)
- Establishment of a speech pathology program at the University of Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)
- Funded surgical training program for cleft-related procedures at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (Ghana)
Interdisciplinary Approach to Cleft Lip and Palate
PACT emphasizes the same interdisciplinary approach used at Seattle Children’s Craniofacial Center and has received international praise for its effectiveness and quality of care. The program is dedicated to creating a quality, African-based model where local interdisciplinary cleft teams objectively assess their outcomes and ensure quality of results.
Ways to help
With your support, we can train more African providers — and help many more African children with cleft lip and palate. Thank you.
Related Links
Contact Us
For more information, contact:
- Emily R. Gallagher, MD, MPH, PACT program director, Seattle Children’s Craniofacial Center, at [email protected]; or
- Joyce Doll, PACT program coordinator, at [email protected]