By Erica Apeatua Addo
Damang (W/R), March 21, GNA – Gold Fields Ghana Foundation (GFGF) in collaboration with Unilever’s brand Pepsodent, has joined others globally to celebrate the World Oral Health Day with Damang schools in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality.
The day aimed to raise awareness among school children about the importance of oral health, promote good oral hygiene and reduce the burden of oral diseases worldwide.
Madam Ayishetu Mohammed, the Project Coordinator of GFGF, revealed that prior to the oral health day, the Foundation had consulted the dentist in the community and learnt that they received numerous referral cases from the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality, particularly from the Damang area.
She said based on that the dentist had advised them to conduct oral screenings and education for their community, focusing on preventive healthcare and reducing the need for hospital visits, which often led to overcrowding.
“Today, we held two sessions: an educational session and an oral care demonstration, where we taught the pupils how to properly care for their teeth, including best practices for brushing, and the do’s and don’ts for maintaining good oral health” the project coordinator said.
She said pupils from the three public schools in Damang: Damang Municipal Assembly School, Nana Amoakwa Model School, and Damang Roman Catholic Basic School benefited from the oral education.
Madam Mohammed said the initiative would become an annual programme, saying “thanks to our partnership with Pepsodent. Each year, we will rotate to a different school in the municipality to provide oral health screening and education”.
The Project Coordinator stated that the Foundation committed approximately GH¢80,000 to the project and anticipated around 2,000 pupils, comprising 1,700 from Kindergarten to Junior High School, plus an additional 300 from nursery one and two to benefit.
Mr Glenn Abraham Ampomah, the Oral Care Brand Manager for Unilever, overseeing the Pepsodent brand said, “We want to instil good oral health habits into these pupils from infancy to old age, and by catching them young, we can establish healthy habits that will last a lifetime”.
He stated that they partnered with GFGF, because their Cooperate Social Responsibility (CSR) goals aligned with Unilever’s own social mission.
Highlighting this year’s theme: “A happy mouth is a happy mind,” he said they aimed to bring joy to the kids, while promoting good oral health habits.
He encouraged the pupils to inform their parents, introduce the new personal oral care kits, and educate them on protecting their teeth from sugar and acid to prevent cavities and ensure healthy smiles forever.
Mr Ampomah added that, “Our Pepsodent kits feature a unique sugar acid formulation designed to protect children’s delicate teeth, whether they are losing baby teeth or growing new ones. It also helps kids maintain healthy teeth and gums by preventing plaque build-up and cavity formation”.
Dr Victor Pantsil, a Dental Surgeon at the Tarkwa Municipal Hospital, who led the medical team indicated that their screenings had revealed a disturbing trend showing that six out of every ten children had multiple cavities, often three or four and attributed its root cause to poor diet.
He continued, “We have had over 100 referrals for these children, each requiring hospital care to address their respective health issues.
This morning, I have pulled out four teeth and done eight extractions. Our team is offering scaling and polishing treatments to promote healthy, clean smiles among the pupils”.
He said cavities were often caused by consuming sugary foods and drinks, and if left untreated could lead to hospitalisation, costly surgery and rehabilitation, or even fatal outcomes.
Dr Pantsil praised GFGF and Pepsodent for organising the programme, advising parents to replace sweets with fruits for their children’s health.
Madam Barbara Dorcas Barba Fynn, the Headmistress of the Damang Roman Catholic Basic School, said “This programme is a blessing for our pupils, many of whom struggle with dental issues,” and thank the organisers for teaching them the importance of oral hygiene.
She said it was believed that the oral health exercise should be conducted at least twice a year, saying “many students pass through our school without accessing dental care, so regular check-ups and education would greatly benefit them”.
World Oral Health Day is observed annually on March 20 and year’s celebration is on the theme: “A happy mouth is a happy mind”.
Pupils at the programme were given free oral care kits from Pepsodent, plus additional goodies including raincoats and mathematical sets.
GNA
JP/CAA