As the world marks World Oral Health Day, dental health professionals from Busia County have requested aid from both the national and county governments regarding public education on oral health in order to mitigate the increasing rates of dental diseases.
This would guarantee that rural communities, who usually do not have access to dental healthcare education, are well-informed on oral health to reduce the incidences of preventable conditions such as dental caries and periodontal diseases.
Speaking at St. Bridgit Akoreet Secondary School, Davis Okwara from the Ministry of Health emphasised the need for government-led campaigns to educate people on proper dental hygiene, affordable treatment options through SHA registration, and the importance of regular dental check-ups.
Additionally, he called for school-based awareness programmes to ensure that they educate the broader public on oral hygiene, which will ultimately help in addressing the oral health issues and averting the escalation of such cases to serious complications.
“The government should be at the forefront of this campaign by pushing for programmes such as the school-based awareness programmes which will ensure that we educate the broader public on oral hygiene to help in addressing the oral health issues and averting the escalation of such cases to serious complications,” stated Okwara.
A dentist from Malava, Xavier Elukita, made similar sentiments and pointed out the need for upgrading the Busia County Referral Hospital so that it can incorporate teaching programmes for dental practitioners, thus heightening the fight against oral health diseases.
“The County government of Busia should prioritise the upgrade of Busia County Referral Hospital to enable it to teach and train dentists, therefore bridging the gap in dental personnel,” said Elukita.
The Deputy Principal of St. Bridgit Akoreet Special Secondary School, Innocent Juma, lauded this initiative, terming it as a turning point for tackling oral health diseases and conditions such as halitosis.
Moreover, he thanked the Ministry of Health for distributing toothbrushes and also providing practical lessons on teeth-brushing techniques, which will greatly improve the oral hygiene of the students.
“This is a great initiative that will help transform and improve the oral health and hygiene of my students, hence tackling conditions such as dental cavities, gum disease and bad breath,” he stated.
By prioritising oral health, creating awareness and training dental practitioners, Busia County will greatly improve on oral health, thus paving the way for healthier smiles and a brighter future for all.
By Owen Mutai
