Smiles & Hopes Pacific Islands

Smile Efate Island Programme

As part of the Pacific Network Project, we have been working with Robyn Watson (Senior Lecturer, University of Sydney) and a Senior Dental Leadership alumni (SDL-7) on an education programme for Efate Island, Vanuatu.

The purpose of the project is to create and implement  a primary school educational programme to increase the awareness and understanding of the importance of a healthy diet and good oral hygiene. The program focusses specifically on educating both 5-10-year olds  and the teaching staff.

A significant goal for the project is to implement and establish a preventive oral health program that will not only be remembered, but also continuously applied into their daily lives.

By increasing the awareness of the importance of good oral health via oral hygiene instruction and education, the program aims to benefit the oral health of the target group, as well as indirectly targeting families and other members of the community, and the overall health of the target group.

Through a series of interviews with various allied health professionals in Port Vila, a thorough needs analysis is being formulated to enhance the project’s quality. This allows for a better understanding of the needs of the target population, consequently benefiting the overall development and implementation of our program plan on Efate Island.