TİKA Volunteers Provide Support For Dental Care Services In Tanzania

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) in cooperation with the Association of Friends of Africa (TADD) organized a voluntary program named “Tanzania Oral and Dental Health.” The program started on 15 July in Morogoro and ended on 26 July in Dar es Salaam involved a group that comprises of ten people, including seven specialist dentists, a nurse, a dental technician and a lawyer.

In the first week of the program, TADD staff conducted several screenings, examinations, treatments and information sessions about the importance of oral and dental health at Mchikichini A and B together with Kilakala Primary Schools in Morogoro region in collaboration with the School of Dentistry of Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS.)

As an outcome of the program in Morogoro, 2000 dental examinations and 400 dental treatments as well as oral and dental health training sessions for 1000 students were carried out successfully in five days. In addition, TADD distributed toothpastes and toothbrushes to local residents attending the program.       

Within the scope of Experience Sharing Program organized and supported by TİKA, a group consisted of 15 volunteer students from faculties of dentistry and medicine joined TADD team in Morogoro and worked alongside with them to perform oral and dental health screenings and examinations of the students and local people.

In the margin of the program, the student group visited Morogoro Islamic University (MIU) and met the Vice Chancellor Abdallah Tenga, who thanked TİKA for organizing this visit. He also informed the volunteer students about the university and then the students were given a tour of the university, including the radio station. Afterwards, the students along with the local students and staff took part in the volunteering program of cleaning the university campus.   

In the second week of the program, TADD team participated in theoretical and practical training program aimed at sharing medical experience and knowledge with senior undergraduate and graduate dentistry students at MUHAS. The purpose was to increase capacity and know-how of the students in the fields of regenerative endodontic treatment, implantology and dental radiology. 

TADD and the student groups visited Ashura Orphanage Center founded by Ashura Foundation and supported by the Turkish Embassy in Dar es Salaam. The groups conducted dental examinations and treatments not only for the orphans, but also the local residents who are living in and around the neighborhood of Vingunguti, which is one of the poorest districts in the city. Turkish Ambassador Ali Davutoglu and TİKA representatives were also present during the program at the orphanage.

Speaking on the occasion, the director of the orphanage expressed her sincere thankfulness and gratitude to TİKA and the Turkish government for organizing the program as well as the doctors and the students who assisted them on oral and dental health