Hosted by the High Commissioner Peter Kallaghe and featuring VIP guest Lord Peter Mandelson – a supporter of the charity’s work – B2A celebrated 10 years of partnership with the Tanzanian Government, and called for support to expand its dental training programme, which has so far provided access to emergency treatment for over 3 million people in Tanzania.
A new campaign around the theme “What if?” was announced – looking into the effects of untreated dental pain – and B2A chief executive, Mark Topley, talked of the charity’s ambition to expand into other parts of Africa (Rwanda already has a small project).
“Dental caries (tooth decay) is a scourge that remains the world’s most common, yet often unacknowledged, disease,” said Mark.
“A huge number of working days are lost to an ultimately treatable disease, with billions of people suffering around the world from untreated tooth decay.
“In fact, 80 per cent of people will suffer from dental caries during their lifetime,” he said.
“Why is it that armed forces include dental care as an essential medical service to soldiers, sailors and airmen, yet so often what the World Health Organisation calls a ‘fundamental right’ – access to simple emergency treatment – is not available for the vast majority of the populations in developing countries? Infection from untreated toothache can – literally – kill. We’ve seen that happen.
“Simple training in extraction techniques, as our dental volunteers provide to local health workers, can dramatically improve quality of life. That’s why on the eve of our 10th anniversary, we’re calling on people to back us in the expansion of the B2A training model into other areas of Tanzania and beyond, and looking for further support to roll out a package we know works.”
Lord Peter Mandelson said: “I am delighted to be supporting Bridge2Aid and its vital work in Tanzania. Mark and his team do a wonderful job in partnership with the Tanzanian government, and over the last 10 years they have benefited millions of Tanzanians. The impact of untreated dental pain across the developing world is enormously under-appreciated and is something which Bridge2Aid has fought hard to have recognised, as well as concretely demonstrating the benefits of tackling the problem through its programmes every single day.”
His Excellency Peter Kallaghe, Tanzania’s High Commissioner to the UK, said: “The achievements of the Bridge2Aid team in the past 10 years have been remarkable, and the resulting impact on individuals and communities has been transformational.
“Since our combined effort was rolled out with Bridge2Aid, in the areas of training, there has been an 80 per cent decrease in the number of dental patients needing to visit district dental facilities, and over 90 per cent of dental problems can be addressed by the trained Clinical Officers.
“So we know Bridge2Aid works; we know the model works; and we are confident that its approach will work in many other countries too. I will be looking forward to Bridge2Aid’s 20th anniversary – and hope that word will continue to spread of its good, and absolutely necessary, efforts.”
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Access to dental pain relief is regarded as so important by armed forces that emergency dental care is viewed as an essential medical service. Ready access to [emergency dental] care contributes significantly to unit readiness and morale.
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The global oral disease burden has increased by 20 per cent in the past 20 years, and it has increased by 50 per cent in East, Central and Sub-Saharan Africa.
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Oral conditions account for an average health loss of 224 years per 100,000 people (Years Lived with Disability or YLDs) - more health loss than 25 out of 28 categories of cancer.
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70 per cent of the global population (mostly people living in low to middle income countries) has no access to even basic pain relief from dental problems.
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In Africa, the dentist to population ratio is approximately 1:150,000 against approximately 1:2,000 in the developed world.
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In East Africa, 80 per cent of the population lives in rural areas, but approximately 70 per cent of trained dental practitioners are based in urban areas. This means that over 110 million people in East Africa have limited or no access to emergency dental treatment.
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Furthermore, 47 per cent of the population in East Africa survive on less than $1 per day and will be unable to afford transportation to urban areas to access treatment.