A.S. Watson sponsors 5,000 corrective surgeries for cleft children

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International health and beauty retailer A.S. Watson has reached the milestone of sponsoring 5,000 corrective surgeries for cleft children through a global community programme “Give a Smile”, done in collaboration with charitable organisation Operation Smile.

Malina Ngai, CEO of A.S. Watson (Asia & Europe), said: “At A.S. Watson, we’re not only putting a smile on our customers’ faces today and tomorrow, but also on the people who need our help. That’s why we partnered with Operation Smile to launch our first-ever global community programme “Give a Smile” in 2018 to raise awareness and funds for children born with cleft palates or cleft lips, giving them beautiful new smiles and fresh hope through life-changing surgeries.”

Ngai continued: “Every three minutes, a child is born with cleft. Cleft conditions not only affect a child’s physical health but also their mental health. A timely cleft surgery is crucial to transform a child’s life and bring them a healthier and happier future.”

Since the launch of the programme in 2018, A.S. Watson and its retail brands have been working hand-in-hand to change the lives of cleft children from all around the world. Ngai said the 5,000th surgery is such a remarkable milestone for A.S. Watson as it means the brand is making great progress in helping more cleft children and their families regain the smiles they deserve.

“However, we cannot do it alone. It’s a joint effort by our people, our customers, and our business partners. Every one of them is part of the achievement we’ve made, and their tremendous support will continue to drive us to do more for cleft children and their families,” Ngai added.

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Furthermore, A.S. Watson has teamed up with Operation Smile to launch the Women in Medicine programme which aims to educate women in developing economies on advanced medical practices and specialties, empowering them to become leaders in global medicine, expand opportunities for female healthcare workers in underserved communities, and elevate the quality of cleft care.

The Women in Medicine programme was first launched in Watsons Philippines, which is an all-female international surgical and educational programme. The multinational team from 13 different countries conducted a one-day leadership and education day on the role of women in global health followed by five days of free surgeries, which amounted to 59 life-changing surgeries conducted for cleft children.

Malina Ngai added: “We are delighted that our global partnership with Operation Smile not only helps cleft children to restore their smile, but we can also help to empower women in the field of medical science. We believe the Women in Medicine programme will enable women to play a more leading role in medicine and in the healthcare sector, inspiring them to be more confident and professional.”

Kathleen Magee, co-founder and president of Operation Smile said: “The ultimate goal of Women in Medicine is to inspire and enable women to take on leadership roles in the medical field so that they can help shape policies that would attract more women into the field and equip them with global-standard skills to widen access to safe surgery and quality cleft care.”

“We appreciate the tremendous support from A.S. Watson for the Women in Medicine programme, and giving more smiles to the children suffering from cleft lips or cleft palate through its worldwide Give a Smile programme,” Magee added.

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