The Dental Division, Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) last week received 60 cartoons of Oral Health Care Products (Bright Smiles, Bright Futures (BSBF) kits) by Colgate-Palmolive.
In receiving the donation on behalf of the Dental Director, MHMS National Oral Health Services, Dr Francis Fono thanked Colgate-Palmolive for the generous support in suppling oral health care products to support the Dental Division to advocate and promote oral health in Solomon Islands.
Dr Fono explained the partnership with Colgate-Palmolive started in 2012, and since then, over the years, Colgate-Palmolive has been supplying oral health care products to the Dental Department, Ministry of Health & Medical Services for distribution to schools and communities.
The key program areas that Colgate-Palmolive supports include the following:
“For the past years, our partnership with Colgate Palmolive was based on sharing common values in promoting and advocating for good oral health and to prevent oral diseases.
“To strengthen this partnership, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services and Colgate-Palmolive Fiji Ltd signed a Memorandum of Understanding dated 1st January 2024. The MOU will end on 31st December 2024 but may be extended by mutual written agreement between the Ministry of Health and Medical Services and Colgate-Palmolive”, said Dr Fono.
He stated this partnership is very important as it is in line with the MHMS National Strategic Plan 2022 – 2024 Strategic Objective 1.2 which states “the importance of building strong partnership through a MHMS led health partners collaboration to improve health of the population.
“Secondly, at the divisional level this partnership is very important as it will contribute significantly to achieving our draft National Oral Health Policy 2024- 2031 (in draft) Priority Area 5: Oral Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. Our policy statement reads “The policy aims to prioritize oral health promotion and disease prevention in Solomon Islands by fostering public awareness, education, and the adoption of healthy oral hygiene practices. The objective is to prevent oral diseases and promote oral health at the population level”, said Dr Fono.
Furthermore, Dr Fono stressed dental caries is one of the main oral diseases affecting people in the world including Solomon Islands.
More than 80 percent of the population who seek dental care in the Solomon Islands are due to dental caries or tooth decay. In 2019, Solomon Islands had the highest prevalence of dental caries in deciduous teeth in children aged 1 – 9 years at 47.8 percent in the Western Pacific Region. In terms of prevalence of caries in permanent teeth, estimated dental caries prevalence of caries in permanent teeth in 6 years or more is 36.2 percent in Solomon Island. This is the 3rd highest in the Western Pacific Region.
Colgate-Palmolive Sales Representative (SI) Mr. Nitin Chand said Colgate-Palmolive is grateful in handing over the donation of the BSBF kits, considering the importance of stronger and healthier teeth.
He echoed the importance of the partnership between the Dental Division and Ministry of Education by working together to provide awareness to the school children and communities.
“I hope this support will reach the much-needed population”, said Mr. Chand.
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