- Insufficient finances and training facilities have led to a desperate state of dental care in Malawi.-a country with fewer than 50 dentists for a population of 18 million people
Insufficient finances and training facilities have led to a desperate need for dental care in Malawi.-a country with fewer than 50 dentists for a population of 18 million people.
An Oral Health Policy was launched recently in Lilongwe to offer improved, affordable and accessible oral and dental health services to all Malawians. Speaking at the event, Ministry of Health chief of health services Queen Dube revealed that currently, 49 dentists serve a population of about 18 million in Malawi. This means one dentist serves 419 000 people which is in stark contrast to the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended ratio of one dentist to 2 000 people.
She added that the country has 93 dental therapists in public service and 53 practise privately. According to her, Malawi had only two dental technologists.
The Deputy Minister of Health Enock Phale expressed the hope that the new policy will lead to expansion of oral and dental health services and also promote and coordinate training and deployment of oral and dental health professionals.
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https://trendsnafrica.com/un-to-support-malawi-to-achieve-the-sdgs-and-malawi-2063/
