Dickey’s Executes Monumental International Franchise Deal to Expand in Africa

Texas-style barbecue restaurant announces master agreement to open eight new locations across Botswana by 2032

Dallas, Texas, Sept. 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Dickey’s Barbecue Pit international expansion efforts are showing no signs of slowdown as the world’s largest barbecue concept is bringing its slow-smoked meats and savory sides to more of Africa!

 Dickey’s announced today that the company signed a Master agreement with exclusive rights to grow its Africa presence by opening eight locations in Botswana over the span of a decade. The new locations will join Dickey’s first Africa restaurant in Cairo, Egypt. Dickey’s continues to expand its global footprint with additional locations open in Japan, Singapore, Philippines and United Arab Emirates and Master development agreements in place in Abu Dhabi, Australia, Brazil, Dubai, Pakistan, Myanmar, Taiwan and Georgia.

 Located in the business district of Botswana’s capital, Gaborone, Dickey’s 1,575-square-foot flagship location will offer dine-in seating for up to 60 guests, carryout, and delivery. In addition to serving its traditional American menu, Botswana’s first Dickey’s will also feature local favorites such as lamb shank.

 “The owner operators offer a firm understanding of the cultural and financial factors related to Botswana and Dickey’s,” said Jim Perkins, vice president of international development and support at Dickey’s. “One of the Owner/Operators gained personal experience with the brand a few years ago while visiting her now husband who was studying at a University in Texas, which aided in driving this relationship forward during the pandemic. I could not be happier with their experience and energy – it is outstanding!”

 The new Owner/Operators will travel to Dallas to attend Dickey’s training program – Barbecue University. While in the U.S., they will take advantage of visiting the various footprints that Dickey’s offers, including traditional brick-and-mortar, food trucks, non-traditional locations and more.

 To learn more, follow Dickey’s Barbecue Pit on FacebookInstagram and Twitter. Download the Dickey’s Barbecue Pit app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.

About Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. 

Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc., the world’s largest barbecue concept, was founded in 1941 by Travis Dickey. For the past 80 years, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has served millions of guests Legit. Texas. Barbecue.™ At Dickey’s, all our barbecued meats are smoked onsite in a hickory wood burning pit. Dickey’s proudly believes there’s no shortcut to true barbecue and it’s why they never say bbq. The Dallas-based, family-run barbecue franchise offers several slow-smoked meats and wholesome sides with ‘No B.S. (Bad Stuff)’ included. The fast-casual concept has expanded worldwide with international locations in the UAE and Japan. Dickey Family Restaurant brands have over 550 locations nationwide. In 2016, Dickey’s won first place on Fast Casual’s “Top 100 Movers and Shakers” list, was named a Top 500 Franchise by Entrepreneurin 2018 and was named to Hospitality Technology Industry Heroes in 2021. Led by CEO Laura Rea Dickey, who was named among the country’s 50 most influential women in foodservice in 2020 by Nation’s Restaurant News and was recognized as one of the top 25 industry leaders on Fast Casual’s 2020 Top 100 Movers and Shakers list, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has also been recognized by Fox News, Forbes Magazine, Franchise Times, The Wall Street Journal and QSR Magazine. For more information, visit www.dickeys.com.

Attachments

Chrissy Bachman
Dickey's Barbecue Pit
469-580-0459
cbachman@dickeys.com

HolyGrail 2.0, l’initiative relative aux filigranes numériques visant à révolutionner le recyclage des emballages plastiques, franchit une étape importante

Les essais semi-industriels commenceront lors de la prochaine phase de l’initiative européenne relative aux filigranes numériques, pilotée par l’AIM, l’Association des Industries de Marque, et alimentée par l’Alliance to End Plastic Waste.

BEAVERTON, Oregon, 7 septembre 2021/PRNewswire/ — Digimarc Corporation (NASDAQ: DMRC) annonce aujourd’hui son entrée en phase d’essais semi-industriels, marquant la prochaine étape de développement de la solution de tri intelligent des déchets sur laquelle porte HolyGrail 2.0, l’initiative relative aux filigranes numériques dirigée par l’AIM, l’Association des Industries de Marque, et propulsée par l’Alliance to End Plastic Waste.

digimarc logo

Les essais semi-industriels ayant débuté, HolyGrail 2.0 est sur la bonne voie pour lancer la phase très attendue de démonstration sur le marché et d’essais à l’échelle industrielle. Les produits filigranés numériques pourraient être déployés en magasin au Danemark, en France et en Allemagne au premier semestre de 2022.

En tant que fournisseur désigné de technologie de filigranes numériques, Digimarc travaille avec les deux fournisseurs de machines Pellenc ST et Tomra afin de développer des modules pour leurs unités de tri par détection. Des tests sont prévus en octobre 2021 dans deux sites d’essai. De plus, des démonstrations du prototype de l’unité de tri par détection auront lieu à l’Amager Resource Centre (ARC), à Copenhague, les 19 octobre et 18 novembre 2021. Les parties intéressées peuvent s’inscrire  ici .

Holy_Grail_2_Point_0_Logo

Cette étape importante marque la deuxième année du projet HolyGrail 2.0, qui compte maintenant plus de 130 entreprises et organisations provenant de part et d’autre de la chaîne de valeur de l’emballage.

Lire le communiqué de presse

À propos de Digimarc
Digimarc Corporation (NASDAQ: DMRC) est un pionnier et un leader dans le domaine des solutions de filigrane numérique et de l’identification automatique des médias, notamment le conditionnement, les imprimés commerciaux, les images numériques, l’audio et la vidéo. Digimarc aide les clients à améliorer l’efficacité, la précision et la sécurité des chaînes d’approvisionnement physiques et numériques. Visitez www.digimarc.com et suivez-nous sur LinkedIn et Twitter pour en savoir plus.

À propos de l’initiative relative aux filigranes numériques HolyGrail 2.0
L’ initiative relative filigranes numériques HolyGrail 2.0 , pilotée par l’AIM (l’Association des Industries de Marque) et propulsée par l’Alliance to End Plastic Waste, est un projet pilote ayant pour objectif de démontrer, d’une part, que les filigranes numériques sont techniquement viables pour le tri précis des déchets d’emballage et, d’autre part, que l’analyse de rentabilité est économiquement viable à grande échelle. Les filigranes numériques sont des codes imperceptibles de la taille d’un timbre-poste qui couvrent la surface des emballages de biens de consommation et qui contiennent un large éventail d’attributs. Leur principe est le suivant : lorsqu’un emballage entre dans une installation de tri des déchets, le filigrane numérique est détecté et décodé sur la ligne de tri par une caméra haute résolution, qui peut ensuite, selon les attributs transférés (p. ex., produit alimentaire ou non alimentaire), placer l’emballage dans les flux appropriés. En rendant les flux de tri plus efficaces et plus précis, leur utilisation se traduit donc par des matières recyclées de meilleure qualité qui profitent à l’ensemble de la chaîne de valeur de l’emballage.

Logo –  https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/461519/digimarc_logo.jpg

Video –  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMjg_GuLDZI

Logo –  https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1609147/Holy_Grail_2_Point_0_Logo.jpg

Majid Al Futtaim Launches AI Powered Carrefour City+; The Region’s First Check-Out Free Store

Carrefour City+ The Region’s First Check-Out Free Store

Opened today in Mall of the Emirates, the new convenience store provides a fast, seamless and contactless experience using cutting-edge, artificial intelligence technology

  • Carrefour City+ offers customers fast, seamless and contactless shopping experience
  • From start to finish, the new store explores a holistic approach to Artificial Intelligence
  • Customers simply pick their products and walk-out with no staff interaction or checkout

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Sept. 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Majid Al Futtaim – the leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia – is setting new precedents for retail with the launch of the region’s first check-out free store, Carrefour City+. Opened today in Mall of the Emirates, the new convenience store provides a fast, seamless and contactless experience using cutting-edge, artificial intelligence technology. Customers use their phones to access the store, pick their desired items and simply walk out without having to queue and pay at the cash register.

Carrefour City+ The Region’s First Check-Out Free Store

Opened today in Mall of the Emirates, the new convenience store provides a fast, seamless and contactless experience using cutting-edge, artificial intelligence technology

Carrefour City+ was inaugurated by H.E Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications along with Alain Bejjani, Chief Executive Officer of Majid Al Futtaim Holding and Hani Weiss, Chief Executive Officer at Majid Al Futtaim Retail.

Store access and shopping payment is enabled via the current MAF Carrefour App. Once inside Carrefour City+, every item picked up by customers will then be automatically added to a digital shopping basket and the purchase will be completed by simply walking out. Not only is the shopping journey faster, but also completely contactless, with no store staff interaction necessary.

“Carrefour City+ has been designed to make life easier by using technology to remove friction and enhance the retail experience,” revealed Hani Weiss, Chief Executive Officer at Majid Al Futtaim Retail. “The store represents a huge leap forwards for retail in the UAE and region as Carrefour continues to innovate to meet the needs of the present whilst anticipating future shopping trends.”

A first for Carrefour worldwide, City+ deploys artificial intelligence and state of the art technology to identify thousands of products with pinpoint accuracy, improving inventory management and simplifying shopping for customers. Carrefour City+ stocks over 1,300 items including snacks, beverages, packaged food and food-to-go meals as well as basic essentials. It can easily be found near the entrance of the Mall of the Emirates Metro Station link for anyone wishing to try the world’s most advanced, ‘simply walk out’ shopping technology.

Carrefour City+ is a prime example of the role of the private sector in supporting the UAE’s Fourth Industrial Revolution Strategy to become a leading global hub and an open lab for the Fourth Industrial revolution’s application. It is also in line with the UAE Artificial Intelligence Strategy that aims to make the UAE the first in the field of AI investments and applications in various sectors. Having established a reputation for innovation, modernity and technology, this retail revelation from Majid Al Futtaim contributes to the UAE’s transformation into an international technology hub as the government takes concrete steps towards establishing a strong, digitally enabled economy.

Media Contact:

Mina Kiwan – Media Relations
E: mina.kiwan@ogilvy.com
D. +971 (0) 4 305 0325
M. +971 (0) 55 2426806

Raed Matarbazi – Communications Manager
Carrefour UAE
E: RMatarbazi@mafcarrefour.com
M. M +971 (0) 56 417 9771

About Carrefour

Carrefour was launched in the region in 1995 by UAE-based Majid Al Futtaim, which is the exclusive franchisee to operate Carrefour in over 30 countries across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, and fully owns the operations in the region. Today, Majid Al Futtaim operates over 375 Carrefour stores in 17 countries, serving more than 750,000 customers daily and employing over 37,000 colleagues.

Carrefour operates different store formats, as well as multiple online offerings to meet the growing needs of its diversified customer base. In line with the brand’s commitment to provide the widest range of quality products and value for money, Carrefour offers an unrivalled choice of more than 500,000 food and non-food products, and a locally inspired exemplary customer experience to create great moments for everyone every day. Across Carrefour’s stores, Majid Al Futtaim sources over 80% of the products offered from the region, making it a key enabler in supporting local producers, suppliers, families and economies.

About Majid Al Futtaim

Founded in 1992, Majid Al Futtaim is the leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

A remarkable business success story, Majid Al Futtaim started from one man’s vision to transform the face of shopping, entertainment and leisure to ‘create great moments for everyone, every day’. It has since grown into one of the United Arab Emirates’ most respected and successful businesses spanning 17 international markets, employing more than 43,000 people, and obtaining the highest credit rating (BBB) among privately-held corporates in the region.

Majid Al Futtaim owns and operates 28 shopping malls, 13 hotels and four mixed-use communities, with further developments underway in the region. The shopping malls portfolio includes Mall of the Emirates, Mall of Egypt, City Centre malls, My City Centre neighbourhood centres, and five community malls which are in joint venture with the Government of Sharjah. The Company is the exclusive franchisee for Carrefour in over 30 markets across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, operating a portfolio of more than 375 outlets and an online store.

Majid Al Futtaim operates more than 500 VOX Cinemas screens as well as a portfolio of world-class leisure and entertainment experiences across the region including Ski Dubai, Ski Egypt, Dreamscape, Magic Planet, Little Explorers and iFLY Dubai. The Company is parent to a Fashion, Home and Specialty retail business representing international brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister, AllSaints, lululemon athletica, Crate & Barrel, Maisons du Monde, LEGO and THAT, a Majid Al Futtaim fashion concept store and app. In addition, Majid Al Futtaim operates Enova, a facility and energy management company, through a joint venture operation with Veolia, a global leader in optimised environment resource management.

www.majidalfuttaim.com

Please follow us on
https://www.youtube.com/user/majidalfuttaim
https://twitter.com/majidalfuttaim                
https://www.linkedin.com/company/majid-al-futtaim
https://www.facebook.com/MajidAlFuttaim
https://www.instagram.com/majidalfuttaim
https://majidalfuttaim.medium.com/

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6908791c-aaed-49db-8666-9283cdc9cb67

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e1d14528-d3b4-4fa2-8e8c-9d8c22276ed6

Major Milestone Achieved in the HolyGrail 2.0, the Digital Watermarks Initiative Aimed at Revolutionizing the Recycling of Plastic Packaging

Semi-industrial trials to commence in the next phase of the EU Digital Watermarks Initiative, driven by AIM – European Brands Association, and powered by the Alliance to End Plastic Waste.

BEAVERTON, Ore., Sept. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Digimarc Corporation (Nasdaq: DMRC) announces today it has entered semi-industrial trials, the next stage of development for intelligent waste sorting as part of the Digital Watermarks Initiative HolyGrail 2.0., driven by AIM, the European Brands Association, and powered by the Alliance to End Plastic Waste.

Digimarc The Barcode of Everything(TM)

With the commencement of semi-industrial trials, HolyGrail 2.0 is on track to launch the highly anticipated phase of in-market demonstrations and industrial-scale trials, with the potential for digitally watermarked products to be added to stores in Denmark, France, and Germany by the first half of 2022.

As the selected digital watermarks technology provider, Digimarc is working with the two machine vendors, Pellenc ST and Tomra, to develop add-on modules for their detection sorting units. Testing is scheduled to take place via trials in two test locations in October 2021. Demonstrations of the prototype sorting detection unit will happen at Amager Resource Centre (ARC) in Copenhagen on October 19 and November 18, 2021. Interested stakeholders can register here.

This milestone marks the second year of the HolyGrail 2.0 project, which has grown to include over 130 companies and organizations across the complete packaging value chain.

Read the Press Release

About Digimarc
Digimarc Corporation (NASDAQ: DMRC) is a pioneer and leader in digital watermarking solutions and the automatic identification of media, including packaging, commercial print, digital images, audio and video. Digimarc helps customers drive efficiency, accuracy and security across physical and digital supply chains. Visit www.digimarc.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to learn more.

About Digital Watermarks Initiative HolyGrail 2.0
The Digital Watermarks Initiative HolyGrail 2.0 – driven by AIM – European Brands Association and powered by the Alliance to End Plastic Waste – is a pilot project with the objective to prove the technical viability of digital watermarks for accurate sorting of packaging waste as well as the economic viability of the business case at large-scale. Digital watermarks are imperceptible codes, the size of a postage stamp, covering the surface of a consumer goods packaging and carrying a wide range of attributes. The aim is that once the packaging has entered into a waste sorting facility, the digital watermark can be detected and decoded by a high-resolution camera on the sorting line, which then – based on the transferred attributes (e.g. food vs. non-food) – is able to sort the packaging in corresponding streams. This would result in better and more accurate sorting streams, thus consequently in higher quality recyclates benefiting the complete packaging value chain.

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/461519/digimarc_logo.jpg
Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMjg_GuLDZI
Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1609147/Holy_Grail_2_Point_0_Logo.jpg

Intelex Is Making Moves to Further the Global Expansion of its Innovative ESG and Global Environmental Solutions

Sustainability Hero of the Year Michael Tuohy appointed as Intelex VP of Environment and Sustainability and Steven Lavoie named Senior Product Manager of Environment

Toronto, Sept. 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TORONTO, CANADA – September 7, 2021 – Intelex Technologies, ULC, a leading global provider of cloud-based Environmental, Health, Safety and Quality (EHSQ) management software, today announced the appointments of Michael Tuohy as its new Vice President of Environment and Sustainability and Steven Lavoie as its Senior Product Manager of Environment to drive rapid innovation within the environmental and sustainability sectors.

The Business Intelligence Group has also announced today that not only was Tuohy named its Sustainability Hero of the Year in its 2021 Sustainability Awards program, Intelex’s ESG Management Suite won product of the year. The Sustainability Awards honor those who have made sustainability an integral part of their business practice and who use their role to make a meaningful impact on the environment. Organizations of all sizes submitted nominations to reward team members and gain exposure for their organizations, their initiatives and the exemplary accomplishments of their leaders as they work to improve our environment for future generations.

“We are so proud to reward and recognize all of our winners and finalists, as they provide the leadership and vision needed to protect our environment,” said Maria Jimenez, Chief Nominations Officer, Business Intelligence Group.

With over a decade of diverse technology and industry experience, Tuohy will now oversee the strategic development and delivery of Intelex’s global environmental compliance and ESG solution suite. By significantly expanding capabilities and team size, Tuohy is helping to boost Intelex’s ESG profile and increasing the ability of Intelex’s solutions to meet and exceed the needs of today’s global market. With global regulators and financiers using ESG as a gauge for risk, and the industry seeing a drastic shift in focus rarely seen before, Intelex is uniquely positioned to guide its clients through the complex landscape so they can become the leading companies of the future.

“Intelex is a company that not only says it values ESG, but truly believes in the importance of it and takes actions that genuinely help our clients have positive global impacts,” said Tuohy. “It is an honor to be stepping into the role of Vice President of Environment and Sustainability, where I can continue to grow our innovative team that designs, builds and delivers the leading ESG Management Software solution.”

Steven Lavoie, who has been at Intelex for nine years, has a background in energy and the environment, including field work as an onsite geologist for oil and gas, stack testing for mining, refineries, waste and water treatment.

Lavoie has a deep and thorough understanding of the energy industry and its ESG concerns and will drive product innovation and investments in technologies and talent around environmental compliance and sustainability.

“Transitioning into the role of Senior Product Manager of Environment could not be any more exciting than it is now. With today’s fast-paced world, immediate and effective actions within the ESG field are what we need now more than ever, and I could not be more thrilled to be as involved in the process as I am” said Lavoie. “Working at Intelex, with other like-minded people who collaboratively have the same end goal of delivering out-of-the-box, efficient and effective ESG solutions, is an honor.”

Intelex Technologies, ULC is a global leader in environmental, health, safety and quality (EHSQ) management software. Since 1992, Intelex employees across the globe have been committed to innovating and enabling organizations to send their employees home safely every day, leaving behind a more sustainable world to the generations that follow, and manage quality so that only the safest and highest quality products make it to market.

Intelex’s scalable, web-based platform and applications have helped clients across all industries improve business performance, mitigate organization-wide risk, and ensure sustained compliance with internationally accepted standards (e.g. ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001) and OSHAS 18001) and regulatory requirements. Almost 1,400 customers in 195 countries trust Intelex to power their EHSQ initiatives.

Headquartered in Toronto with regional offices and employees around the world, Intelex became an Industrial Scientific company in 2019. In 2020, Intelex acquired ehsAI, provider of a SaaS-based next-wave compliance automation solution that leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms. For more information about Intelex, visit www.intelex.com.

Attachment


Sandy Smith
Intelex Technologies
2163750484
Sandy.Smith@intelex.com

Medwish.com Launches Global Free Shipping Plan to Deliver Medical Equipment to Hospitals

SHANGHAI, Sept. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Medwish.com, the online B2B medical equipment marketplace, today announced it will offer free shipping on more than 10,000 medical products in its full 14 sub-categories covering hospital beds, patient monitors, compressor nebulizers, oxygen concentrators, Ultrasound Diagnostic System, shaking incubators, hydraulic stretchers, medical ventilators, 4K NIR Cameras, defibrillators, etc.

Medwish Hospital Turkey Projects

International freight rates have been rising during the COVID-19 pandemic, with an increase of 500% in most countries over last year. The export of medical devices becomes extremely difficult due to the rise of international freight. Many hospital engineering procurement plans are blocked due to the high freight. The coming months of 2021 will witness a serious impact on equipment exports due to the rise of international freight.

Medwish.com, a professional global medical B2B marketplace, is determined to lead 400+ medical equipment manufacturers in Jiangsu to join Medwish platform to implement free shipping promotion from September to December in response to the sharp increase in international shipping cost.

In the face of overseas epidemics and rising international freight rates, Medwish.com joins hands with its partners, and is willing to put aside their short-term interests to deliver medical devices to the world as soon as possible to fight against the epidemic. At the same time, global customers will feel that in Zhangjiagang, part of Suzhou city of Jiangsu province, there is a medical platform willing to build a connection between countries at the high freight rate.

“The promotion is expected to start on September 1 and last 120 days till December 31, 2021. The transaction volume on medwish.com will exceed 200 million US dollars (1.3 billion Yuan) at least. It is expected that 1200 40-foot-high containers will be shipped, worth of about 18 million US dollars (about 120 million Yuan). If there are more suppliers and customers, more breakthroughs will be achieved.” says Fola Wu, CEO of Medwish.com.

About Medwish.com

The “MEDWISH” (www.medwish.com) platform is a global B2B marketplace focused on the supply and procurement of medical equipment and devices. The Medwish team cooperates with global leading service providers in fields including logistics, insurance, financing, customs clearance, international payment, etc. The medical marketplace clears out global buyers’ one-stop shopping difficulties by integrating global high-quality supply chain channels, and buyers of Medwish.com come from mainly newly constructed hospitals and overseas agents.

Website: www.medwish.com

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1609312/1.jpg

Smile Train and COSECSA Enhance Surgical Training through $1.2M Investment

Together, Smile Train and COSECSA aim to narrow the gap of 5 billion people who lack access to safe, affordable surgical and anaesthesia care

NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — In a bid to strengthen the surgical systems in Sub-Saharan Africa, Smile Train, the world’s largest cleft charity, has amplified its partnership with the College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA) to invest in the education and training of 112 additional cleft and reconstructive surgeons.

Through this partnership, 12 surgeons will receive a full scholarship to a 3-year Plastic Surgery Fellowship, with four positions specifically reserved for female surgeons. The partnership will also support ten scholars to engage in an eight-month Post-Fellowship Cleft Surgery Certification program. In addition, over a five-year period, Smile Train will support sixty scholars to attend country-level Train the Trainer Surgery Workshops as well as thirty scholars to participate in a fully funded Surgical Exchange program. Smile Train will further support program management and the COSECSA examination processes.

Smile Train has continuously supported COSECSA’s training programs over the last 5 years. This increased investment is part of the organization’s commitment to scaling cleft surgical education and training.

“Smile Train led training innovation for cleft surgeons more than a decade ago when we first released our ground-breaking Cleft Surgery DVD, which has since evolved into an award-winning Virtual Surgery Simulator. We also distribute the highest-fidelity cleft simulation devices in the world through our division Simulare. We support our more than 1,100 partners with a range of education and training opportunities throughout the year. We are truly transforming the landscape of cleft treatment around the world, and in doing so transforming surgical systems,” said Dr. Esther Njoroge-Muriithi, Senior Vice President, Global Medical Programs, Smile Train.

College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA)

The partnership comes against a backdrop of increased need for qualified surgeons in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

“The COVID-19 pandemic has proven the need to have more robust surgical systems in the local communities, and through Smile Train’s unique teach a man to fish model we can help elevate surgical capacity. Together with COSECSA, we are bridging the gap for the 5 billion people who lack access to safe, affordable surgical and anaesthesia care; and will increase the number of surgeons across Africa, including those who specialize in cleft care,” noted Mrs. Nkeiruka Obi, Vice President and Regional Director, Smile Train Africa.

According to the 2015 Lancet Commission on Global Surgery, 143 million additional surgical procedures are needed in LMICs each year to save lives and prevent disability, and every year an estimated 81 million people face catastrophic financial expenditure due to costs associated with seeking surgical care. A surgical workforce crisis threatens to only heighten these global inequities, and investments in surgical workforce capacity are essential.

Prof. Godfrey Muguti, President of COSECSA, welcomed the partnership, noting Smile Train’s keen interest in empowering surgeons in the region.

“The burden of surgical care is astronomical and out of reach for many, and families gamble with fundraisers to the tunes of millions to receive better care in developed nations. Through the investment in the knowledge exchange in our MoU with Smile Train, we aim to build confidence in Africa’s surgeons, find local solutions to local challenges and administer quality, more affordable care in the local community,” noted Prof. Muguti.

Interested applicants are encouraged to review the qualifications and apply through COSECSA’s website.

Smile Train, which has active cleft care programs in 40 countries across Africa, has 245+ partners and 255+ partner hospitals across the continent. At the core of Smile Train’s model is local capacity building for the cleft ecosystem professionals including surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses, nutritionists, midwives, speech therapists and orthodontists. Through strategic partnerships at the local and international level, Smile Train dedicates itself towards quality healthcare capacity building and advocacy to increase access to safer surgeries in low- and middle-income countries.

About Smile Train:
Smile Train empowers local medical professionals with training, funding, and resources to provide free cleft surgery and comprehensive cleft care to children globally. We advance a sustainable solution and scalable global health model for cleft treatment, drastically improving children’s lives, including their ability to eat, breathe, speak, and ultimately thrive. To learn more about how Smile Train’s sustainable approach means donations have both an immediate and long-term impact, please visit smiletrain.org.

About COSECSA:
The College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA) is a non-profit professional body that fosters postgraduate education in surgery and provides surgical training in the East, Central and Southern Africa region. COSECSA shapes and leads the training, examination and accreditation of surgeons in the East, Central and Southern Africa (ECSA) region. Admission to the College is open to all registered medical practitioners who comply with the professional requirements (Email: info@cosecsa.org, Website: www.cosecsa.org )

Media Contacts:

Emily Manjeru
Smile Train Africa
c. +254 724 926 269
emanjeru@smiletrain.org

Amani Pascal
COSECSA
c. +255 625 941 330
exams_asst@cosecsa.org

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/930835/Smile_Train_Logo.jpg
Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1608746/logo_high_resolution__COSECSA.jpg