Access to Oral Healthcare programme

Location: Diebougou

Situation:

This landlocked African country has some of the worst health statistics in West Africa. The crisis in the Ivory Coast seriously affected the country, which depended on Abidjan port for more than two-thirds of its foreign trade. Access to primary care remains almost impossible for most of the population.

Activities:

Given the lack of dental and oral health care in the region, MdM implemented a range of activities:
• Setting up a dental surgery (refurbishing the premises) and professional training (training a dentist at university);
• Development of an oral health education programme in schools and villages in Diebougou province;
• The dental surgery has been operational since July
2006, with two sessions per week;
• Staff training for the awareness-raising programme.
 
Outlook:

• Autonomous running of the dental surgery;
• Training of a nurse priest in dentistry at Ouagadougou university (currently in second year);
• Creation of a mobile clinic for initial care to visit the most remote villages.

Project start date: 2005

End date: 2008