WHO Donations in Rwanda and Myanmar 2015-2016

30 August 2016

SOS Children Villages Rwanda

In 2015, the Sunstar Foundation donated almost 80,000 toothbrushes to SOS Children Villages Rwanda. This was done to support the health initiative Basic Packages of Oral Care (BPOC) for children in the framework of WHO/UNICEF “Health Promoting School” strategy in Rwanda.

Background information:

Clinical treatment is expensive and beyond the resources of the health system in Rwanda at this time. Therefore strategies based on prevention and health promotion have been introduced in schools in to address the problem in an affordable and sustainable way.

This approach is based on a vision that schools can be environments where healthy lifestyles are not only taught, but also practiced, where dental education and bi-annually dental treatment are available, where basic personal hygiene like hand washing and tooth brushing with fluoride toothpaste is possible and done.

It is expected that through knowledge and active participation of non-health professionals such as teachers, parents and community members, sustainable improvements concerning general health and oral health of the public school children as well as their families will be achieved.

Myanmar Maternal and Child Welfare Association (MMCWA)

In 2016, through the Dental Officer of World Health Organization (WHO), donations were provided to the Myanmar Maternal and Child Welfare Association (MMCWA). This was done to support the promotion of oral health education for children attending the daycare centers of the Association and also for the Association’s maternity homes. A total of 100,000 children’s toothbrushes and 1000 adults’ toothbrushes, together with toothpaste were granted.

Photos from one of the activities:

Photos from another activity:

A pamphlet used for tooth brushing activities was developed with the topics of:

1) Daily tooth brushing with fluoride toothpaste as the basic preventive measure to control major oral diseases;

2) Good oral health during pregnancy and of newborns have benefits for physical as well as mental health development;

3) Oral health for women: puberty, pregnancy, lactating period, and child rearing;

4) Regarding the after-lunch tooth brushing activities at daycare centers and primary classes;

4) Tooth brushing method for Myanmar’s people as indicated by the Oral Health Division of MoH.

On the 28th of May, a monthly mobile outreach health care activity was held and the villages of Wear-Gyi within the Nay Pyi Taw Area were visited. Toothbrushes and toothpastes were distributed to pregnant women. The rest of the donated supplies are planned to be used for tooth brushing programs of maternity homes and daycare centers.

We hope that these donations will help improve general and oral health among children and adults in Myanmar and Rwanda!