Welcome to Mission Cure Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, the status of healthcare is similar to that of many developing countries: limited numbers of medical practitioners in Bangladesh often operate in relative isolation, dealing with diverse health care needs to a population of over 150 million. Most of the inhabitants are poor, cannot afford private treatment and often live in rural areas, with no easy access to health care. As a result of this, the nutritional status and health awareness of the rural people suffers. Women, children and elderly people are usually many miles from medical facilities and as a consequence of which, it is this category of people who suffer the most from infectious diseases.

Almost every year Bangladesh suffers a humanitarian crisis due to cyclones and floods. Many of the survivors of the cyclone of November 2007 are still living outdoors and drinking polluted water after their homes have been destroyed.

Oral disease and facial defects and deformities are a common occurrence in Bangladesh; and include oral cancer, cleft lip and palate and diseases of the facial bones. Acid burns and traumatic facial injuries resulting in gross facial disfigurement are common and are often left untreated.

A face can be seen as the key to a persons identity, if a persons face is damaged the manner in which that person experiences his identity and meets his environment is altered, consequently facial defects are corrected not only for functional reasons but for psychological reasons. In modern society feelings of aversion are still aroused by deformities of the face, the deformity is particularly stigmatising because of the unique importance of the various function of the face, eating and drinking in addition to the fact it is the primary means of communication.

Although the Government health infrastructure for health care delivery in Bangladesh is good, at present, there is no specialist multidisciplinary team approach centre dealing directly with maxillofacial trauma/deformities in Bangladesh.

40% of cancers in Bangladesh are of the head and neck origin, with depressingly low survival rates. This is due to lack of early detection and the correct treatment planning at the limited centres currently available.

Mission Cure Bangladesh was set up as a charity in 2004 to try and help provide qualified experienced personnel who have developed their expertise in the field of Maxillofacial Surgery and Maxillfacial Technology. A team of UK Maxillofacial Surgeons and Maxillofacial Prosthetists have assembled over the past few years with the intention to visit Dhaka Community Hospital each year to provide practical workshops and lectures for 12 qualified doctors on orthodontic techniques, maxillofacial prosthetics, burns, and prosthodontics.

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