DT News - Latin America - FDI, FOLA and DTI launch campaign for Haitian dentists

Javier M. de Pison, DT Latin America

lun. 25 enero 2010

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PANAMA CITY, Panama: The president of the Haitian Dental Association Dr Samuel Prophet has told Dental Tribune Latin America that he and several colleagues he was able to contact in Port-au-Prince were fine after the devastating earthquake in his country. “So far, we only have reports of two missing dentists,” Dr Prophet wrote in an e-mail.

The recent earthquake not only devastated Haiti’s meagre health resources, but also most dental practices. Before January 12^th, the country had only 500 dentists for 9 million people. The extent of the aftermath has affected regular people and dental professionals alike.

President of the Latin American Dental Federation (FOLA), Dr Adolfo Rodríguez, launched a campaign immediately after the quake to help both the general population and dental professionals in Haiti. Dr Rodríguez, who is also President of the Dominican Dental Association (AOP), is asking companies and dental professionals to donate dental instruments, materials and equipment. He is organising the campaign in collaboration with the FDI World Dental Federation and Dental Tribune International.

In addition, Dr Rodríguez is putting together teams of dental volunteers to travel to Haiti once the major health and humanitarian crises are under control or at least manageable, in order to attend to the dental needs of the population. This effort will based at the headquarters of AOP in Santo Domingo.

“We also need to show our support for our colleagues in Haiti, most of whom have lost everything,” Dr Rodríguez said. “We need to get them back on their feet by helping them to rebuild their practices.”

Lost practices
In his e-mail, Dr Prophet said that “many of our colleagues have lost their practices and we were thinking about how to help them. It’s very good news to know that FOLA, FDI and Dental Tribune are trying to help Haitian dentists.” If dentists know “that help is on the way they can have hope!” Dental Tribune will publicise the Haiti campaign in its worldwide print and online editions.

At a meeting in Panama, Dr Rodríguez received the support of the presidents of Central American dental associations, and made an emotional appeal to dental manufacturers to donate much-needed supplies. He said Colgate has already agreed to donate brushes and toothpaste, and that he intended to meet with KaVo do Brasil during the upcoming CIOPS meeting in São Paulo to ask for donations of new and used dental units.

Dr Rodríguez added that it was moving to witness dental professionals from countries with few resources, such as Honduras, Nicaragua or El Salvador, commit to collecting funds from their members, second-hand equipment and dental supplies to help their Haitian colleagues.

Some prominent Latin American dental professionals from Brazil, Uruguay and Costa Rica, amongst others, have already expressed their interest in participating in dental teams to attend to the most urgent needs of the Haitian population. Current conditions indicate that these teams will operate in mobile units at the Dominican–Haiti border, once the most pressing health needs are somewhat under control.

The reason for this is that most of Port-au-Prince is in ruins. The Dominican government has thus moved the majority of its mobile health resources to the border in an effort to treat Haitians, and avoid a migratory exodus.

This tragedy “is also an opportunity to build a public health service that includes dental care. We have asked the Pan American Health Organization, FDI, all Latin American dental associations, companies and other institutions for help in putting together teams of dental professionals to travel to Haiti and start working there, and leave in place basic dental treatment centres,” said Dr Rodríguez.

He said that this will be a long-term programme that will include rebuilding the dental school at the university and private practices. He stated further that it will take some time to start the programme and the treatment of children and pregnant women will be priority.

The Latin American dental leader said he has also asked for funding from the government of the Dominican Republic. Companies and dentists interested in helping the Haiti campaign can contact Dr Rodriguez at arn@codetel.net.do or +809 519 0789.

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