Following on from the success of the initial pilot schools oral health programme in Uganda Dentaid seeks to replicate a similar scheme in Cameroon.

The aim of the programme is to educate children in oral health care with the end goal of combating poor oral health care in the schools and ultimately in the general population.

These pictures were taken in some of the five primary schools that will run the programme. They are typical primary schools in Cameroon. Most of the public schools both in urban and rural areas have dilapidated buildings and very poor facilities.

The children are from extremely poor homes and many have a very long journey just to reach school. Their parents cannot afford the tuition fees which are charged in private and mission schools where the level of education and the facilities are usually marginally better.  

An initial pilot was run for a year involving five primary schools. The programme started in mid September 2008, the start of the new academic year. After this initial trial it became clear how well the programme was running and how easy it would be to replicate it in more schools in the area. Dentaid was partnered with the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Board in order to run this programme.

The project initially involved about 2000 primary school pupils. The schools involved were three Cameroon Baptist mission primary schools, a Catholic mission school and a government School. The primary schools had primary one to six. The average age of the pupils ranged from five to 12.

There was supervised daily tooth brushing, regular oral health education, basic dental care such as filling teeth using the ART technique and minor extractions. Oral health education lessons were given to large groups of about 100 pupils.

There was regular screening for each child. Any child needing treatment either received attention in the portable clinic in the school or if they were in need of something more complicated they were referred to the local treatment centre. 

Thanks to the very generous support of a grant-making organisation, this oral health programme is able to continue.