BRASILIA, BRAZIL – Today, Operation Smile Co-Founder and CEO Dr. William Magee will deliver a keynote address to approximately 3,000 global industry leaders from more than 80 countries at the 20th World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) in Brasilia, Brazil. The theme of the 2016 conference is “Fulfilling the Promise of the Digital Age” and Dr. Magee will lay out the crucial role technology plays in humanitarian efforts around the world.
A veteran plastic surgeon, Dr. Magee will offer a glimpse into what his medical charity, Operation Smile, has been able to accomplish by applying cutting edge solutions to medical missions that started almost 35 years ago when he and his wife traveled to the Philippines as medical volunteers. Since that time, Operation Smile has provided hundreds of thousands of free surgeries to children and young adults in developing countries born with a cleft lip, cleft palate or other facial deformities. Thanks to the implementation of new technologies Operation Smile has been able to successfully manage more than 13,000 medical and student volunteers in 85 countries, prescreen patients on opposite sides of the globe, and connect with medical professionals around the world to teach, learn and share the latest surgical techniques.
Estimates show that worldwide, a child is born every 3 minutes with cleft and that there are approximately 5 billion people who lack access to safe and affordable surgical care. Operation Smile’s vision is to eradicate cleft worldwide and improve access to safe surgery, but the organization must work within the constraints and capabilities of medical mission sites. For this reason, it is vital for medical volunteers to have access to advanced technological systems to streamline the processes of evaluating patients, inputting and updating medical records and providing comprehensive care solutions, such as obturators for cleft palate patients awaiting surgery and speech therapy via voice recognition software. The challenge Dr. Magee will pose to the audience is to devise more innovative and affordable technology to improve the lives of the billions of people around the world without access to basic and essential surgery.
In his third appearance at WCIT, Dr. Magee will be among visionary leaders from various international businesses, governments and academic institutions, such as Hanne Melin, EBay Inc. Director Global Public Policy; Tony Scott, Federal Chief Information Officer, White House Office of Management and Budget; Geraldo Afonso Dezena, Vice President of Technology of Banco Do Brasil; and Ivo Corrêa, Director of Government Relations and Public Policy of UBER Latin America.
WCIT is a unique opportunity for global users, providers, media and academia leaders to come together and discuss emerging technologies and trends while offering varied perspectives on the international marketplace. WCIT is organized by the World Information Technology and Services Alliance, a leading consortium of information and communications technology industry association members from across the world.
Operation Smile
Operation Smile is an international medical charity that has provided hundreds of thousands of free surgeries for children and young adults in developing countries who are born with cleft lip, cleft palate or other facial deformities. It is one of the oldest and largest volunteer-based organizations dedicated to improving the health and lives of children worldwide through access to surgical care. Since 1982, Operation Smile has developed expertise in mobilizing volunteer medical teams to conduct surgical missions in resource-poor environments while adhering to the highest standards of care and safety. Operation Smile helps to fill the gap in providing access to safe, well-timed surgeries by partnering with hospitals, governments and ministries of health, training local medical personnel, and donating much-needed supplies and equipment to surgical sites around the world. Founded and based in Virginia, U.S., Operation Smile has extended its global reach to more than 60 countries through its network of credentialed surgeons, pediatricians, doctors, nurses, and student volunteers. For more information, visit www.operationsmile.org.
