By Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Kpantarigu (U/E), May 22, GNA – World Vision Ghana has sensitised pupils of Kpantarigu Basic School in the Bawku West District of the Upper East Region on oral hygiene and awareness.
The initiative, aimed at promoting good oral hygiene and personal care among school children, featured educational sessions on proper brushing techniques and the importance of maintaining dental health.
As part of the outreach, a dental screening exercise was conducted for the pupils to help identify and address early signs of oral health issues and ensure early treatment.
In addition to the screening and sensitisation, World Vision Ghana with support from Unilever Ghana also donated toothpaste and toothbrushes to the pupils to support the practice of daily oral hygiene routines at home and in school.
The initiative was part of a broader effort by the World Vision Ghana and Unilever Ghana to improve child health through hygiene education and access to basic health care services in rural areas.
Speaking during the event, Mr Joseph Edwin Yelkabong, Bawku West Cluster Area Programme Manager, World Vision Ghana, emphasised the importance of instilling healthy habits in children at an early age.
He noted that such partnerships between NGOs and the private sector play a crucial role in improving child health and well-being in underserved communities and added that World Vision Ghana had over the years worked to improve child health in many rural communities.
Mrs Mercy Apoasana Awuni, Healthy Environment and Wellness Project Officer, World Vision Ghana, said apart from improving the health of the children, oral hygiene was key to boosting the confidence of children to staying in school.
She said due to stigmatisation associated with bad odour as a result of bad oral hygiene practices, many school children absented themselves from school and in worse cases dropped out of school and it was imperative for collective efforts to address the challenge.
“We have given out about 700 pieces of toothpaste and brushes to the children to help them to undertake hygiene practices seriously and we hope that families will prioritise oral hygiene and encourage their children to brush their teeth daily,” he said.
Mr Rexford Yamdorg Bugre, Regional Operations Manager for Northern Sector, World Vision Ghana, said children identified to have dental problems during the screening would be given first aid and treatment.
‘Those will require referral, we will do so and World Vision Ghana will foot the cost of treatment”, he said.
Mr Cosmos Minyila, the Bawku West District Director of the Ghana Health Service, noted that good oral hygiene was significant to the overall wellbeing of human body and urged parents to encourage their children to ensure hygiene practices.
Mr Timothy Naasal Yuornuo, the Bawku West District Director of the Ghana Education Service, on behalf of the children and their parents expressed gratitude to World Vision Ghana and Unilever Ghana for the initiative, describing it as timely and beneficial.
GNA
Edited by Fatima Anafu-Astanga/Benjamin Mensah