This pilot project has been very well constructed in a needy rural area of Bangladesh among one of the poorest nations in the world. Dr Ross Dunn and his Queensland Dental colleagues have done a remarkable job in getting this project established.

The main objectives of the project have been

1. Collection of baseline data on oral health

2. Training school and madrasha teachers to promote oral health care and prevention

3. Conducting school based primary preventative oral health care programme.

4. Training all local health workers and HEED run community workers of primary oral health care and prevention.

5. Setting up of dental referral clinics and

 

The project now is proving to be a role model for the rest of the country.

The biggest problem with the project is lack of finance and because of this, instead of operating in four districts, the pilot programme has been reduced to just one district and that is called one sub district Shyampur, of Dhaka district in the centre of the country. Where HealthServe Australia had thought it was one of a consortium of four organisations contributing finances to this project, we now find that we are the main financial contributor.

It costs over $100,000 per year to make it fully function.