Coalition of Leading Cleft Organizations Call for Prioritization of Health Workers Within National Vaccine Distribution

NEW YORK, April 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Circle of Cleft Professionals (CoCP), a coalition of the world's leading cleft lip and palate organizations, has issued a statement urging policymakers to support vaccine equity for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and to prioritize health workers within national vaccine distribution.

Though COVID-19 vaccines are now being distributed in more than 161 countries and territories across the world, vaccination has barely begun in the majority of LMICs. As new variants of the virus emerge, providing vaccines for all is essential to ending this global pandemic.

According to a recent CoCP global survey, nearly 80% of cleft professionals report a distressing decrease in the number of patients accessing critical cleft care due to the pandemic. The prioritization of health workers within national vaccine distribution is crucial to the health and well-being of marginalized patients such as the more than 200,000 babies born with cleft lip and/or palate each year.

"Global vaccine equity is essential to our shared future," says Mr. Brian Sommerlad, Chairman of CLEFT UK.  "Prioritizing health workers enables them to care for the most vulnerable patients."

To learn more about the Circle of Cleft Professionals and read their statement on vaccine equity, please visit cleftcircle.org. Follow CoCP on Twitter @CleftCircle.

About the Circle of Cleft Professionals
The Circle of Cleft Professionals is a worldwide network representing thousands of health workers specializing in cleft care from over 60 countries and sponsored by 10 of the leading international Cleft organizations. 

Press Contacts
Pamela Sheeran
Smile Train, USA
+1 212.689.9136 
psheeran@smiletrain.org    

Hugh Brewster
Transforming Faces, Canada
+1 416.222.6581
hugh@transformingfaces.org

Mr. Brian Sommerlad
CLEFT CHARITY, UK
00447860309133
info@cleft.org.uk 

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