5 yıl önce

Turkish dentists give Kenyans back their smiles

Shortage of dentists across Kenya has led to a state where one dentist caters for 30,000 people.

Turkish dentists are offering free dental care and fostering oral hygiene awareness in Kenya’s Lamu County in a partnership between Turkey and Kenya aimed at promoting quality healthcare.

The region was in dire need of dental services, with the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) estimating that the shortage of dentists across Kenya has led to a state where one dentist caters for 30,000 people. In Kenya, dentists are mostly in big cities, leaving those in rural areas deprived of dental care.

The health camp has been organised by TIKA and the Women's Education and Culture Foundation (HEKVA).

“Here on Lamu and Faza islands, five female dentists participated in our dental health camp, leaving everyone with a smile,” TIKA’s Nairobi Program Coordinator Emre Yuksek said in a statement.

Those who could not reach the camp, TIKA brought the dentists to them.

“Kenyan colleagues went to the villages every day, traveling long distances in boats, and performed dental scans and treatments," Yuksek said.

“In a week, 2,500 people underwent dental screening, and 750 people’s teeth were treated."

SOURCE: AA