The charity has launched the ‘#20FOR20’ campaign, and have invited the public to join it in creating a lasting legacy. By donating £20, supporters can help them raise £20,000 to kickstart the next 20 years of life-changing work!
Donations will make a profound difference by:
- Empowering the local dental workforce: supporting the training and up-skilling of local oral care providers, ensuring essential treatment reaches those in need
- Educating communities: training teachers and community health workers to spread vital oral health messages in schools and communities
- Expanding reach: enabling the expansion of programmes to create sustainable, community-led changes that will impact thousands of lives
Why is this work vital?
Oral diseases and pain affect around 3.5bn people worldwide, with the most disadvantaged populations bearing the brunt, particularly in remote, rural areas. This often prevents individuals from eating properly, working, and attending school, with 75 per cent of those affected living in low and middle-income countries.
In Tanzania's Mwanza region, 76 per cent of adults and 38 per cent of children suffer from untreated dental caries. With no access to dental care and very low oral health literacy, people are living for years with dental pain, which may lead to disfigurement and sepsis and can sometimes be fatal.
Bridge2Aid aims to change this reality to ensure no one suffers in silence.
Training and collaboration
Bridge2Aid is committed to sustainable solutions, working closely with local partners, ministries, and national dental associations to align efforts with national policies.
Many district hospitals have now employed dental therapists, but they are often working in isolation, with no access to training, development, or peer support.
By training local dental therapists, teachers, and community health workers, the charity makes oral health education and treatment accessible where it is needed most. Contributions directly support these essential initiatives.
How to get involved
There are still a few spaces left for dentists and dental care professionals (DCPs) on the October outreach/training programme in the Mwanza region of Tanzania, running from October 19 to November 2, 2024.
This programme will focus on:
- Screening in primary schools
- Training and up-skilling local dental therapists
- Providing basic dental treatment
- Delivering oral health education
- Post-programme mentoring for dental therapists
Volunteers are welcome to join for the full two-week programme or a single week.
The charity also announced it will focus on Oral Health Education (OHE) in February, March and May 2025. In February and June 2025, it plans to run further outreach programmes.
For more information visit https://bridge2aid.enthuse.com/cf/20for20