Namibian oral health ‘success’
17 June 2019
A Cardiff University dental team has completed oral health checks in primary schools and orphanages in Namibia.
Senior clinical lecturer Dr Ilona Johnson and four of her final year dental students spent two weeks in Namibia as part of the University’s Phoenix Project.
They collected data in the capital Windhoek and remote parts of northern Namibia and hope this work will influence policy.
“We tried to get to the most remote places so as to ensure maximum impact”, said Dr Johnson.
The team used fun games and songs to help educate the children about the importance of oral health.
Head of Dentistry at Katutura State Hospital, Dr Nguundja Uamburu, accompanied the Cardiff team during their work.
She said: “It has been a massive success. We hope that this project is going to make a big difference in Namibia because we collected really good data.”
The Phoenix Project is a highly successful partnership between Cardiff University and the University of Namibia focusing on education and research in areas such as IT, mathematics, health and communication.
It is part of the University’s civic mission to improve education, health, wealth and wellbeing in communities in Wales and further afield.
