Kumasi, May 18, GNA - A three-day workshop aimed at equipping school health Coordinators with the requisite skills to promote community oral health and personal dental care among school children, has commenced in Kumasi on Monday.

The training of trainers' workshop is being held under the auspices of Unilever Global and the World Dental Federation (FDI), of which the Ghana Dental Association (GDA) is an affiliate body. It is being attended by 25 teachers and Coordinators of School Health Education Programme (SHEP) from Amansie Central and Bosomtwe Atwima Kwanwoma Districts of Ashanti. Dr. Eric Asamoah, National President of GDA, said that FDI was committed to promoting oral health awareness in Communities where the prevalence of dental caries and peri odontal diseases have been observed to be high. He said the high incidence coupled with poor access to oral health information and facilities, have necessitated the involvement of non-professional stakeholders and partners to enable the FBI achieve its objectives.

Dr. Asamoah said teachers have been identified and selected for training due to their direct involvement with school children, their ability to detect and refer dental cases for early treatment at hospitals and also for the influence they wielded in the communities as opinion leaders. Explaining the criteria for selecting the two districts for the workshop, he said a base line study in 2007 revealed that the two deprived areas had high percentages of dental caries and peri odontal diseases.

Dr. Asamoah called on participants to take the course seriously and impart knowledge that they would acquire to others. Mr. Joseph Kwabena Onyinah, Ashanti Regional Director of Education commended organisers of the workshop. He said Guinea Worm infestation, Vitamin A deficiencies, inadequate nutrition and poor dental health among school children had a direct bearing on their education and called on parents to encourage their children to practice good oral hygiene. 18 May 09