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Podcast: Do One Better with Alberto Lidji in Philanthropy, Sustainability and Social Entrepreneurship
Episode: Brian Sommerlad, Chairman of CLEFT: Treating Cleft Lip and Palate Through Collaboration, Training and Trust
Description: Cleft lip and palate is one of the most common congenital conditions worldwide, yet effective care goes far beyond repairing a visible deformity. It requires long-term, multidisciplinary support that addresses speech, hearing, dental development and psychological wellbeing.
In this episode, Brian Sommerlad, a surgeon and Chairman of CLEFT, shares four decades of experience in cleft care across the UK and low and middle income countries. Drawing on extensive work in places such as Bangladesh and Nepal, he explains why short-term surgical missions alone are not enough and how well-intentioned philanthropy can sometimes undermine local health systems.
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