By: Shiza Ahmed
In continuation of the philanthropic work carried out by the Rotaract Club of Islamabad Metropolitan, a dental camp was set up at Kurbagla Phagwari on the 20th of October, 2019 in collaboration with The Dayspring and Colgate Pakistan. Members of the Rotaract Club along with the team of Colgate Pakistan and The Dayspring successfully conducted a comprehensive dental checkup and handed out free dental kits to the patients. Around 135 patients actively engaged in different activities; the aim was to spread awareness about the significance of maintaining good oral health. Sessions were dedicated to highlight preventive oral care measures and a live demonstration was given to help people learn how to brush their teeth properly.
Currently in Pakistan, less than 5% of the population has access to proper oral health facilities. Similarly, lack of awareness is one of the fundamental reasons why more than 90% of the dental diseases are left untreated. Majority of the dental practitioners are concerned about the bulk of unmet dental needs. In rural areas the coverage of dental care is equivalent to 1 dentist per 200,000 people. A survey conducted by the journal of Pakistan medical association shows that in Pakistan, only 32% of the children of the age group 12-15 have healthy gums.Consequently,70% of the people in the age group ranging from 35-64 years have dental caries.
The budget allocated to the health sector by the Government of Pakistan stands short of what is needed to overcome the health crisis in our country. This is where the duty of social workers comes into play. Community outreach programs are a great way to dispense information at the local level. The Dental camp conducted by the Rotaract club targeted audience at an individual level. This approach is best suited to terminate the issue from its roots. Hence, the initiative taken by the Rotaract club is a great way to not only curb the issue but also suggest possible solutions which may have positive implications in the long run.