JICA launches 3-yr pilot project for oral health development
Saturday, 7 March 2009
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) hopes to see a better oral heath condition in Bangladesh in near future with launching a new project to improve dentistry and oral hygiene of kids and parents in small areas, reports BSS.
The model project for oral health development in rural areas will continue up to 2011, the year from which courses of action for future would be devised based on the outcomes from the new project in Chandina, Comilla.
JICA sources Friday said the three-year pilot project has targeted nearly 3,000 students of nine primary schools in Mohichail union as well as their teachers and parents to improve oral health through preventive measures such as proper tooth brushing and change of food habits.
"Teeth problem in developed and middle income countries are acute due to higher consumption of sugar and sugar-coated food items such as chocolate, ice cream and soft drinks. And it is also growing in Bangladesh with the changing socio-economic condition," said Japanese Professor Shuichi Takanami in an interview in the city Friday.
Takanami, an associate professor of Hokkaido University, said they got the idea of launching a project after several Japanese teams visited rural areas and saw the bad condition of oral health and huge demand for such services there.
Dentists in Dhaka said the scenario of oral health in rural areas was different from urban areas, where modern lifestyle leads to more sugar consumption leading to caries and tooth decay, while people in villages mostly suffer from gum diseases due to chewing betel leaf with nut, jarda, tobacco and lime.
The dentist population ratio in Bangladesh is one of worst in the world with only one dentist serving 200,000 people each. This has also influenced Japanese team to come in Bangladesh, said JICA.
According to the project profile, Bangladeshi dentists trained in Hokkaido University, would train elementary students and locals on dentistry, oral hygiene and oral health, especially on proper brushing. Hokkaido University has so far provided PhD degree to 18 Bangladeshi dentists and trained nearly 40 others since 1980s.
"Prevention would be given the highest priority in the project areas side by side with the treatments," Principal of private Sapporo Dental College and Hospital Prof Dr MA Hannan said.
The project, a brainchild of Prof Hannan and his peer Prof Dr Mohiuddin Ahmed, will initially provide counselling to students and others to take care of their teeth and mouths. The beneficiaries would also be given free toothbrush and toothpaste after motivation, Hannan added.
Asked about any programmes to use traditional tooth brushing practices, Prof Hannan said they would initially encourage people to use brush and paste, but the older generations who use 'neem' sticks would be trained on proper uses of it.
Prof Dr Khurshiduzzaman of govt Dhaka Dental College and Hospital said most of the losses of oral heath could be prevented only through awareness and proper brushing skills. The proper brushing, he said, can easily prevent two major common dental diseases -- caries and gingivitis.
Sources said oral health is one of the neglected public heath issues in Bangladesh, which has three dental colleges in public sector and four in the private sector, all are based in the capital Dhaka.
The model project for oral health development in rural areas will continue up to 2011, the year from which courses of action for future would be devised based on the outcomes from the new project in Chandina, Comilla.
JICA sources Friday said the three-year pilot project has targeted nearly 3,000 students of nine primary schools in Mohichail union as well as their teachers and parents to improve oral health through preventive measures such as proper tooth brushing and change of food habits.
"Teeth problem in developed and middle income countries are acute due to higher consumption of sugar and sugar-coated food items such as chocolate, ice cream and soft drinks. And it is also growing in Bangladesh with the changing socio-economic condition," said Japanese Professor Shuichi Takanami in an interview in the city Friday.
Takanami, an associate professor of Hokkaido University, said they got the idea of launching a project after several Japanese teams visited rural areas and saw the bad condition of oral health and huge demand for such services there.
Dentists in Dhaka said the scenario of oral health in rural areas was different from urban areas, where modern lifestyle leads to more sugar consumption leading to caries and tooth decay, while people in villages mostly suffer from gum diseases due to chewing betel leaf with nut, jarda, tobacco and lime.
The dentist population ratio in Bangladesh is one of worst in the world with only one dentist serving 200,000 people each. This has also influenced Japanese team to come in Bangladesh, said JICA.
According to the project profile, Bangladeshi dentists trained in Hokkaido University, would train elementary students and locals on dentistry, oral hygiene and oral health, especially on proper brushing. Hokkaido University has so far provided PhD degree to 18 Bangladeshi dentists and trained nearly 40 others since 1980s.
"Prevention would be given the highest priority in the project areas side by side with the treatments," Principal of private Sapporo Dental College and Hospital Prof Dr MA Hannan said.
The project, a brainchild of Prof Hannan and his peer Prof Dr Mohiuddin Ahmed, will initially provide counselling to students and others to take care of their teeth and mouths. The beneficiaries would also be given free toothbrush and toothpaste after motivation, Hannan added.
Asked about any programmes to use traditional tooth brushing practices, Prof Hannan said they would initially encourage people to use brush and paste, but the older generations who use 'neem' sticks would be trained on proper uses of it.
Prof Dr Khurshiduzzaman of govt Dhaka Dental College and Hospital said most of the losses of oral heath could be prevented only through awareness and proper brushing skills. The proper brushing, he said, can easily prevent two major common dental diseases -- caries and gingivitis.
Sources said oral health is one of the neglected public heath issues in Bangladesh, which has three dental colleges in public sector and four in the private sector, all are based in the capital Dhaka.