Facing the World exists to provide life-changing craniofacial surgery to some of the world’s most disadvantaged and vulnerable children.
A significant goal for the charity has always been to promote the provision of craniofacial skills and facilities in countries where these are lacking. We are increasingly focusing our efforts on our mission in Vietnam – a country where the incidence of severe birth defects is by some estimates ten times higher than in neighbouring countries.
In 2008 we began a partnership with Da Nang Hospital in Vietnam, and since then we have sent surgical teams there for two weeks every year to teach and operate jointly with the local surgeons. Now over 100 patients are seen there each year, and we are very excited to be developing this further by establishing three further craniofacial centers in Vietnam; with Viet Duc and Hong Ngoc hospitals in Hanoi, and Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. This will mean that many, many more desperate children can be treated locally.