Education Is the Powerful Weapon Essay Example

Education Is the Powerful Weapon Essay Example Education Is the Powerful Weapon Essay Education Is the Powerful Weapon Essay Notes from Provincial Meeting with Colgate-Palmolive re-Partnership for Oral Health Education: 19 May 2011: Natalia, Pietermaritzburg. 1. Welcome: Dr Zungu welcomed the representatives from Colgate – Palmolive and from National Department of Health: Oral Health Programme. The Head of Department acknowledged the work previously done by Colgate – Palmolive in the school based brushing program. Dr Zungu stated that the Province and the Department would benefit from this health promotion and prevention of dental carries programme, as part of re-engineering of PHC. Dr Zungu acknowledged the oral hygienists attending the meeting as leaders in oral health, especially promotion and prevention. 2. Present and Apologies Oral hygienists from each District, except Umzinyathi (where there are no Oral Hygienists), were present. Umzinyathi was represented by the Oral Health Programme coordinator. 3. PHC and Oral Health Ms Dalton restated the partnership as being part of health promotion and that oral health is an important component of PHC. The oral hygienists should be the leaders in enrolling the schools onto the programme, and re-enforcing messages through partnership with School Health Nurses, Dieticians and nutritional advisors, PHC Nurses and Department of Education. The initiative should be a District wide, and a District managed initiative. 4. Presentation by Ms Rowel from Colgate-Palmolive The project was outlined. Purpose: To establish oral health education in as many schools in KZN as possible within the funds available. Process: a) Each Health District in Partnership with Department of Education should identify schools, and introduce the education programme. b) A registration form with the details of school is required to be sent to Colgate – Palmolive. c) The required number of Oral Health Education School Kits will be sent to the school. d) The teachers will be given some training on the use of kits, lesson plans, etc. Target: Grade One pupil only, there are insufficient funds to extend at this time. Sustainability: The programme / project can only be sustained in partnership with the two Departments. Health Department will need to supplement toothpaste and brushes – as Colgate / Palmolive only provided the start up consumables. Indicators: Number of schools with brushing programmes (already on DHIS) Number of children exposed to Oral Health Education. Project outcomes Project should be a strategy to introduce and identify children for fissure sealants. Reduction in dental carries Reduction in tooth extractions in schools children. 5. Discussion |Item |Decision |Action by whom | |5. 1. Provincial target schools |Target the â€Å"Full service Schools† and |Dalton to write to District to inform| |Not all schools can be reached. Discussion was around whether to target the â€Å"Full |Quintile One schools. |them of the project, targets etc. | |service Schools† and Quintile One schools, or target the largest schools to enroll the| | | |maximum number of children; especially as some of the Quintile One schools are small | | | |schools. Another suggestion was Health Promoting schools, however Oral Health is | | | |already part of the criteria used. | | | |5. 2. Project Leaders |Oral hygienists would lead the project at|Dalton to write to District to inform| |Oral hygienists stated that this was their field, but would require District |District level. However a team approach |them of the project, targets, etc. | |Management support, especially to access consumables to sustain the Programme in |was essential | | |schools. | | | |Hygienists were reminded to work in teams with School Health Nurses, Dieticians and | | | |Nutritional Advisors, NPO’s and PHC Nurses. | | |There are no Oral Hygienists in Umzinyathi, the Oral Health Programme Coordinator | | | |would facilitate the project, it was suggested the District offer bursaries for this | | | |cadre. | | |5. 3. Funds for consumables to sustain brushing programmes. |Ms Dalton would undertake to ask Dr. |Dalton to add financial support to | |The brushing programmes started previously have stalled as it was not seen as a |Mansvelder if funds can be accessed. And |the letter to District Managers. | |priority in the financial constraints. And Hospital CEO’s were reluctant to let |to add financial support to the letter to|Dalton to ask Dr Mansvelder if some | |hygienists take consumables from Hospital premises to distribute to schools. |District Managers. |funds can be made available. | |It had been reported that there were funds available for PHC, this is truly a | | | |promotion and prevention intervention and should be funded. | | |5. 4. Fissure Sealants The project should be used be used to identify children in need |Oral Health Programme to monitor the |Vayej: Oral Health | |of sealants. |number of children being reached for | | |eThekweni District requires a light for the light cure sealant. |fissure sealant. | | | | | | | | | |In Uthukela there was a complaint that School Health Nurses are not identifying dental| | | |carries correctly, and over referring to dentists†¦ however no action to teach the |MCWH and Uthukela District to facilitate | | |Schools Health Nurses has been offered. |the School Health Teams being skilled to |Manickum, | | |recognise dental carries in children. Uthukela District Oral Health | | | |Coordinator. | |5. 5. Transport Oral Hygienists often experience challenges in accessing transport to |Dalton to write to District to inform |Dalton | |visit schools. |them of the project and need for | | |Oral hygienists can also at times travel with School Health Teams, or dieticians to |transport to be allocated for project | | |schools. | | | |5. 6. Stakeholders the following stakeholders must be involved at District level: |All stakeholders must be involved in the |Dalton to include in letter to | |School Health Teams, Community Care Givers, Oral Health Programme Co-odinator, |District Plan for the Project |Districts. | |District based Dietician, NPO’s, Dentists participating in the Colgate â€Å"Bright Smiles,| | | |Bright Futures† , and the PHC clinics nearest to the schools where the project | | | |commences. | | | |6. 7. District Plans: District plans involving all stakeholders are required to |Oral hygienists to approach Oral Health |Dalton to include in letter to | |finalise a Provincial plan and enable Colgate Palmolive to support the roll out in the|Coordinators in each District to maximize|Districts | |Province. |the project opportunity. | | |The â€Å"war rooms† must be included and informed about the project so that Community care| |District plans by end of June 2011. | |givers can participate at home and school level. | | | |6. 8. Indictors: New indicators would not be added to DHIS at this stage. The |The Oral Health coordinators are expected|Provincial Oral Health Programme to | |Quarterly reports from Districts include the number of brushing programme at schools. |to report on the project in the Quarterly|request inclusion of other indicators| | |report in the narrative section. |at a later stage. | 7. Closure: Colgate Palmolive was thanked for introducing the project and giving a â€Å"kick start† to Oral Health Education as part of PHC re-Engineering, and assisting the Province to move toward health promotion and prevention strategies. The Oral hygienists were thanked for being enthusiastic about their work and the project.