Pilot project aiming to end dental pain of marginalized communities

April 24, 2018

According to WHO, a better health is central to human happiness and well-being. It also makes an important contribution to economic progress, as healthy populations live longer, are more productive, and save more.

Global Steps driven by its commitment to empower human health and wealth, completely concurs the WHO’s diagnosis of the critical link between human health and development rate, because we are, as humanitarian workers and NGOs, not able to maintain work on socio- economic issues with individuals or societies who suffer from epidemics, diseases or physical aches.

Therefore, a pilot project, brought together recently, Global Steps with Dental Mavericks, aiming at fighting periodontal (gum) disease, which is one of the most common human diseases, especially among fragile communities, such as Syrian refugees and marginalized citizens in rural areas of Lebanon.

A Campaign was launched by the two NGOs, in February targeting Bekaa area. A shared clinic was prepared to host beneficiaries during 3 stages, 1st from 26th Feb till 2nd March, 2nd from 25th March till 30th March and the last stage will be conducted between 29th April until 4th May.
The projects offered free clinic full working clinic in Bekaa Valley, where a number of dentists nurses and therapists meet tens of patients every month to take displaced families out of dental pain. The Dental Mavericks team can now perform root canals and also work in the camps for families who cannot make the trip to the clinic.

In addition, the project offers a fluoride program running in local schools for over 1000 students, plus an education program for oral hygiene in cooperation with Global Steps team who is outreaching the local displaced communities.

It’s important to notice that the link between oral infections and other diseases in the body is becoming well documented and accepted within the healthcare community. It underscores the importance of good oral hygiene and the role dental hygienists play in preventing oral disease.