NGO sensitises schoolchildren to oral health
More than 2,000 pupils from four basic schools in the Ga West Municipality of the Greater Accra Region have benefited from a sensitisation programme on oral health.
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The project, “Healthy teeth, Happy Smile”, is an initiative of the Hands of Gold Foundation, an Accra-based non-governmental organisation (NGO).
The two-day event saw the children and their teachers taken through basic oral health practices, effective tooth brushing techniques, cavity prevention and some basic tooth safety tips.
In addition, each of them received a set of toothbrushes and toothpaste.
The beneficiary schools included Ayikai Doblo Municipal Assembly (MA) 1 Basic School, Mayera Presbyterian MA 1 Basic School, St. Paul's Anglican School and Akwatsire MA Basic School.
Addressing the pupils, the Health Education Lead of the foundation, Fredous Adjei Konadu, re-echoed the need for more oral health education campaigns of this nature to be organised in schools, particularly those in deprived and underserved communities.
She noted that even though oral health was very important, many did not pay attention to it due to a lack of education.
Ms Konadu, who is also a dental surgery technician at the Kaneshie Polyclinic, explained that the project was to empower the children to imbibe the habit of oral hygiene and make it a daily and regular routine.
Commendation
The Coordinator of the School Health Education Programme (SHEP) for the Ga West Education Directorate, Margaret Akosua Akpabli, who graced the occasion, lauded the foundation for the initiative.
She said it was important that children were taught proper healthcare practices in their formative years.
For his part, the Administrative Manager of the foundation, Rex Kumordzi, said the oral education project would be an annual affair between the foundation and various schools in the country.
The heads of the four beneficiary schools thanked the foundation for the kind gesture and called for more in the years to come.