More than 1,000 children with cleft lips or palates in Southwest China's Guizhou province are expected to receive free surgery from international medical experts through a charitable program by the end of 2015.

"Data collected by the Guizhou Family Planning Association this year, one of our partners, showed that at least 1,200 children in Guizhou with cleft lips and palates were waiting for treatment," Ge Zhenjiang, deputy secretary-general of the China Population Welfare Foundation in Beijing, said on Sunday.

In partnership with the Alliance for Smiles Foundation, a San Francisco group dedicated to helping children in developing countries who have cleft lips and palates, as well as two other international charitable organizations, the foundation has been running a program to provide free comprehensive treatment for such children in China since 2002, he said.

The program is called Happy Smiles — Helping Children with Cleft Lips and Palate.

Asia's population has the highest ratio of cleft lip and palate, and in China 1.8 percent of the population is affected, said Colin Wong, vice-president of the Alliance for Smiles Foundation and a professor of dentistry at the University of the Pacific in California.

However, children in less developed regions normally cannot be treated at the proper time because of a lack of money and information.

The medical costs can be a heavy burden on poor families. A single cleft-repair operation costs 4,000 yuan ($640) to 8,000 yuan, and most children would require more than one operation, Wong said.

"In Guizhou, poverty and insufficient knowledge of where to find help are the main reasons families don’t get treatment for their children," Ge said.

Xiao Jisong, a farmer in Fenggang county, Guizhou, said he and his wife were depressed after their daughter and son were both born with cleft lips.

Xiao's 6-year-old daughter started primary school this year, and he said she was of-ten laughed at by classmates.

"Why did you gave birth to me like this?" the little girl kept questioning her mother, Xiao said.

"It was such a relief when family planning officials told me that my two children were suitable candidates for surgery," he said.

A team of 23 experienced medical experts from countries including the United States, Britain, Canada and Malaysia, volunteered to operate on about 80 children with cleft lips and palates at Zunyi No 1 People's Hospital from Oct 28 to Nov 10.

Xiao's son, 4, underwent successful surgery on Wednesday, and his daughter received surgery on Saturday. The two children have been discharged from the hospital and went home on Sunday.

Yi Ruhui's 10-month-old granddaughter also received free medical treatment.

The infant's parents left her with her grandma 40 days she was born to find work in big cities.

"I'm very grateful for this opportunity," said the 43-year-old Yi, who lives in Suiyang county, Guizhou.

"Children with cleft lips and palates not only have difficulty eating and drinking, but also with listening and speaking," said Wong, who has volunteered for the past eight years in China.

"A cleft lip or palate is not a life-threatening deformity, but when these children go to school, the other kids will make fun of them, and they have a really hard time when it comes to communication," said Stanley Bloustine, a re-tired plastic surgeon from the US, who has more than 30 years' experience.

Wong agreed, adding that what he saw in rural areas and conservative communi-ties was that some parents feel ashamed and try to hide a child with a cleft lip, believing they must have done some-thing wrong so God is punishing their children.

Wong recalled the moment when he first saw one 5-year-old patient in Jiangxi province, the boy looked very pale.

"I asked his parents why he looked so pale and they told me it was the first time they took the boy out of their house," he said.

"Recovery takes time, but the result is immediate. I'd say the operation is life-changing," said Bloustine, who has volunteered for four years.

Chinese doctors at Zunyi No 1 People's Hospital have been invited to observe and share experience with the foreign medical experts, said Liu Daishun, a doctor at the hospital, who was also a volunteer for Happy Smiles.

He said he is eager to learn, because the medical team provides comprehensive treatment instead of just performing a simple operation.

"This is the second time Happy Smiles has come to Zunyi. We're talking about establishing a treatment center in the hospital, where a comprehensive treatment plan could be provided, something that does not yet exist in China," said Ge, of China Population Welfare Foundation.

Contact the writers at hedan@chinadaily.com.cn and zhaokai@chinadaily.com.cn