Project | Long-Term Mission in Madagascar
In 2018, Modern Dental Care Foundation started a long-term dental care project in Madagascar with Modern Dental Europe, to provide oral health care and prevention to the local people in a sustainable and effective manner. Starting from 2022, Modern Dental Global Foundation will join hands altogether to recruit volunteers and promote the campaign in Asia.
The project focuses the first year on the oral health of the residents of Sakay and its surrounding villages. Due to the great enthusiasm of the attending dentists on a mission, the second project started in 2019, focusing on the oral health of the street kids of Madagascar and their families.
Sakay is located in the south of Madagascar. Together with its surrounding villages, which lay within a radius of 30 kilometers, Sakay counts a total of 30,000 inhabitants. Almost all of these inhabitants live in poverty. It is very clear that the necessity of dental help in this area is much needed.
In the upcoming years, we plan at least twice a year a mission to this area. By repeatedly visiting Sakay on a regular basis with our planned missions, we could go beyond the treatment of pain complaints.
2024 Dental Mission
From October 19-27, Modern Dental Care Foundation (MDCF) has completed the 7th mission in Antananarivo, Madagascar. A dedicated team of 7 volunteer dentists, comprising 3 from Denmark, 1 from Germany, 2 from Belgium and 1 from the Netherlands, are collaborating with 4 Malagasy dentists to deliver essential dental care to more than 1,000 patients.
The mission had a remarkable start, treating over 200 patients on the first day. The primary focus has been on the children of 5 local schools, where MDCF initiated a preventative dental care program two years ago. Each child receives toothbrushes and toothpaste, which are stored in classrooms for regular use.
In addition to treatments such as extractions, fillings, and root canal procedures, the team has also begun sealing caries-free, erupting molars on a large scale for the first time. This emphasis on prevention aims to reduce the need for invasive treatments over time. We expect to see significantly fewer invasive procedures as we continue focusing on preventive care.
2023 Dental Mission
The volunteer team embarked on the mission journey from October 23rd to 28th this year. A total of 541 patients had received dental care from volunteers supported by Modern Dental Care Foundation (“MDCF”). This achievement helps bring smiles and improves the overall well-being of individuals who are in need of oral healthcare.
This year, 4 European dentists and 3 local counterparts participated in the mission and provided cost-free treatments to patients. The team has also been granted the opportunity to visit local schools to educate the younger generation of the importance of dental hygiene practices and promote preventive measures to maintain good oral health, in an objective to transform their behaviors at an early stage.
In the latest mission, the dedication and efforts in Madagascar have been richly rewarded by the evoking smiles. This initiative aligns with MDCF's vision of creating a world where every individual can benefit from proper dental care, regardless of their socio-economic background.
2022 Dental Mission
After a 3-year pandemic outbreak, the Modern Dental Care Foundation restarted its dental mission in Madagascar capital Antananarivo this year from 3rd September to 9th September. Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world and lacks essential health services. This is the fifth mission of the project since it was first launched in 2018 and will aim to treat 600 patients, with the support of 4 dentists and 2 professional dental nurses from Europe, as well as 3 local dentists and volunteers.
The project also embarks on a long-term educational mission, working with local schools to support and teach children to brush their teeth the right way every day. The goal of the partnership is to promote preventive dental care for children, most of whom suffer from untreated tooth decay. The Modern Dental Care Foundation will continuously support these schools with brushes and toothpaste in the long run. In addition, Modern Dental Global Foundation has distributed nearly 1,000 tubes of toothpaste which are sponsored by Colgate Hong Kong in support of this meaningful initiative.
Partnership
