Dental treatment in Zimbabwe
In the province of Masvingo in Zimbabwe, toothache is an everyday occurrence for many people. SolidarMed is changing this: With dental treatments and awareness-raising campaigns, the aim is to promote oral health in Zimbabwe and prevent chronic pain.
If someone has toothache in the rural Masvingo Province, they stand little chance of getting it treated. In a population of 1.5 million people there are only five dentists, and dental treatment in one of the few dental clinics is unaffordable for most people. On top of that, the necessary equipment and medicines are often lacking. Many people therefore go without treatment, suffer from severe pain and are significantly limited in their day-to-day lives as they can barely eat or sleep.
SolidarMed has been carrying out prevention work in the three districts of the Masvingo Province for three years and has enabled many people to access dental treatment. For this purpose, SolidarMed has reopened disused dental clinics at three hospitals and set up a new clinic at a other hospital. SolidarMed also trains dental staff on an ongoing basis and supplies equipment such as x-ray machines, anaesthetics and painkillers. Project coordinator Dr Timothy Chifamba – himself a dentist – also assists with complicated treatments and thereby ensures a high level of quality.
Treatment is also provided to patients who are unable to visit a dental clinic on their own. A mobile dental clinic visits the remote villages of the Chikombedzi District every six months. And some 800 people in two prisons, a psychiatric institution and a school for the blind have been examined and treated on site.
Need for prevention just as great
Besides this important work to ensure primary dental care, SolidarMed also carries out awareness campaigns in schools. For this, project coordinator Dr Timothy Chifamba regularly visits nine primary schools, shows pupils how to brush their teeth, checks their teeth, and carries out treatments where necessary. The percentage of children with tooth decay was previously very high – which illustrates the high demand for prevention and better dental care in the province.
SolidarMed is currently looking for new donors so that it can continue this project
Double burden in Zimbabwe
The health system in Zimbabwe is already overburdened by the double burden of infectious and non-communicable diseases. Find out more here.
