The first conference of the new EU funded Action (COST 16234) looking at patient access to cleft care across Europe took place in Niš, Serbia on 14 and 15 September.  ECO is driving this programme which aims to ensure that children born with clefts and other craniofacial conditions receive optimum multidisciplinary care. The Action is co-ordinating an increase in research across Europe and will forge crucial links between researchers, practitioners and policy-makers, offering the potential for significant benefits to the families affected by clefts and other craniofacial conditions in Europe. The ground-breaking conference in Niš set the scene for the next three 3 years of the Action, providing an insight into cleft care from the patient perspective and comparing approaches across Europe and beyond. An impressive list of international speakers attended from as far away as Canada, Taiwan and the USA.

Pictured  (left to right) Gareth Davies, CEO of ECO, Action Vice Chair: Serena Kassam of Global Smile Foundation, Boston, USA and Martin Persson, University of Kristianstad, Sweden,  Action Chair.