The Sapporo Dental College & Hospital, Dhaka,Bangladesh

The Country The Country Since the late 1980s Uganda has rebounded from the abyss of civil war and economic Bangladesh into become a is bordered by India, the catastrophe South Asia, model of relative peace, Bay of Bengaleven some prosperity. population of stability and and Burma. With a

156 million it is one of the most densely populated In the 1970s and 1980s Uganda was notorious for countries in the world. In Bangladesh, more than its of the rights abuses, rst during the 80%humanpopulation have at least one oral disease military dictatorship of cancer is one 1971 and the incidence of oralIdi Amin from of the worst to 1979 and then after the globally. There is less thanreturn trained dentist one to power of Milton Obote, who had been ousted by Amin. per 10,000 people to half athe lowest dentist to one of million people were During this time up patient in state-sponsored violence. ratios in the world. Most people will never killed see a dentist in their lifetime. However the Sapporo Dental College and Hospital is fastest growing Today, Uganda has one of the working to combat these problems. economies in Africa, is beginning to attract
tourists and is being given much attention from the worldss charitable organisations. There is still much to do though. Sapporo Dental College and Hospital

they are not able to provide more sophisticated treatment to treat The Project more complex cases and are seriously concerned by their lack of adequate Dentists and equipment and its potential impact sterilisation staff at the Sapporo Dental College upon the health of their patients. and Hospital want to further expand their services

With a local populationprimary dental care Kitagata Hospital is the of 500,000 the hospital provides to the Districts population of per week. provider oral care for 600 people around Treatment is free for the underprivileged250 750,000 people. The clinic treats on average and subsidised week. However,wellthe clinic has in way patients a for the less all off and includes scaling, lling, is a chair, some instruments and a of equipment teeth extraction, minor and major water boiler as sterilisation. This orthodontic and oral surgery, prosthetic dentures, form of sterilisation is very outdated and provides root canal treatment. inadequate they have also extended their services Signicantly, sterilisation, particularly against diseases like Hepatitis and HIV. The dental a basic to a grassroots level. They currently providestaff are highly motivated and regularly run outreach oral health outreach service to 2000 slum dwellers screenings and treatment in local communities located on the outskirtsthey are frustrated that and schools. However, of Dhaka city.

The Project

InKitagata Hospital is the main government Dental 1993 dental graduates set up the Sapporo hospital in the Bushenyi District, Western College and Hospital with the view to developing Uganda. Governments hospitals are the main the health of dental care to ordinary Ugandans. A provider care facilities in Bangladesh. Run under the non-prothealthcare system exists in Uganda, free national organisation The Foundation for Health, Education, ServiceslimitedResearch, they but often care is extremely and due to the promote the level of dental education and health scarcity of appropriate equipment. care by increasing the number of well trained oral health professionals. Poorer students are also given the opportunity to study, as the cost of their training is subsidised by donations and grants from individuals and charitable organisations.

to the underprivileged people of Dhaka and its The hospital has asked Dentaid to provide a environs. However, the dental hospital is currently complete Dentaid surgery in services to the vast under-resourced to provide order to provide safe and effective dental treatment to the and rising population in the catchment area. community they serve. The dental staff have also With a new surgery and portable equipment from asked for appropriate oral health education Dentaid, togetherthem funding oral health materials to help with provide provided through the campaign the schools and local communities. promotion in for World Wide Smiles, they will establish the rst integrated community oral health programme in Bangladesh. This will include special training for their trainee dentists, clinical students and staff - motivating them to serve the community through oral health education programmes, screening and outreach work at community level, with referral of serious cases to the Hospital itself. The more that is raised, the more people the programme will be able to help.

Dentaid . Giles Lane . Landford . Salisbury . SP5 2BG web: www.dentaid.org . info@dentaid.org . tel: 01794 324249 Registered charity number 1075826