Oral Health Week targets 150 000 pupils
About 150 000 learners from various primary schools across the country are expected to get free oral healthcare products as part of commemorating this year’s Oral and Dental Health Week starting today.
Colgate Palmolive has donated toothbrushes and toothpaste worth K40 million ($66 890) to the Ministry of Health (MoH). The donation targets pupils from Standard One to Three in selected 1 500 primary schools.
Activities planned for the week include oral health and hygiene education, free screening for oral conditions and dental treatment.
Colgate Palmolive’s senior customer development manager Emily Jere said during the launch in Lilongwe on Friday that Colgate feels duty-bound to help promote education by protecting learners’ health.
Said Jere: “Studies have shown that, globally, untreated tooth decay among schoolchildren affects their education.
“In Malawi alone, studies indicate that over 50 percent of children aged five-nine have at least dental cavity, and that this proportion increases to 78 percent among 12-19-year-olds.”
This is the ninth year since the company partnered MoH in fostering the commemoration of Oral and Dental Health Week
Minister of Health Peter Kumpalume urged the public to patronise the services in the week.
