Zambia Update

In September Professor Bedi visited our Zambia project, where dental therapy students are being trained to provide dental care to disadvantaged children in Ndola.

The 3-year programme, co-funded by the Borrow Foundation and the Global Child Dental Fund, is proceeding with great success, with dental therapy students reporting a rapid growth in confidence at managing children. In the first year of the project 11,549 pupils were treated from 29 government and community run primary schools.

The dental therapy students are also making excellent progress with classroom teaching of oral health. This approach is educating the children, preventing them from suffering from toothache. They can then pass these healthy messages to their families and communities. There is also an emphasis on Special Care Dentistry – a valuable area in which the students are beginning to gain exposure. In Zambia there is a lack of special care services for children with disabilities.

During the vist the future of the program was discussed with the stakeholders, with all agreeing that the ultimate aim is to demonstrate to the government of Zambia that this project is worth adopting and expanding further.