B2A Training in Emergency Dentistry
90% of Tanzania's population live in the rural areas.
90% of Tanzania's dental personnel live in cities!
The Tanzanian government solution is to train their Clinical Officers in Emergency Dentistry, and B2A are helping to achieve that.
Clinical Officer Training in Emergency Dentistry | |
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The health care team best placed to deliver basic dental services to the large rural populations of the region (and indeed the majority of the nation) are the rural Clinical Officers (COs). They are responsible for the provision of all basic medical services in thousands of small dispensaries and health centres across Tanzania. If you need a vaccination, a wound to be stitched, a baby to be delivered and pretty much anything else - the CO is your nearest answer. Their current training programme does not contain any dental aspect. Programmes tried in the past ended due to lack of funding some years ago. |
In partnership with the regional government, B2A have developed a 10 day intensive training course in Urgent Dental Treatment for rural Clinical Officers. The course comprises two elements:
1) A 4 day residential course funded by B2A. COs receive theoretical instruction from their District Dental Officer.
2) A six day intensive practical course, based in rural villages, where COs are trained one-to-one by volunteer UK dentists travelling to the region as part of the Dental Volunteer Programme.
The course runs three times a year. In the 3 years since the programme began, B2A have trained and equipped over 40 COs in Magu & Misungwi Districts, providing access to emergency dentistry to a population of over 400,000 people. The programme is about to expand and by the end of 2008 the number of trained RCOs will have increased to at least 70.
Bridge2Aid funds these courses partly through donations from the UK, partly through grant funding from the Ministry of Health and partly through the profits of Hope Dental Centre.