Glasgow Centre for International Development

50% of school going children (6-9 years) and 78% of 12-17 year olds in Malawi have tooth decay and poor access to oral and dental care is widespread in the country.

This project, led by Professor Jeremy Bagg, aims to address the nationally-identified need in Malawi for public oral health education, more oral health professionals and suitable training facilities to develop and maintain professional skills. Specifically, the programme aims to:

• Establish, in parallel with the existing MB BS programme, a Bachelor of Dental Surgery curriculum at the Kamuzu University of Health Sciences.
• Completing the scoping and design of the capital and technical infrastructure required for delivery of the BDS programme.
• Recruit a small dental academic workforce to deliver the programme. In the early stages, teaching will be complemented by use of distance learning and concentrated periods of teaching by visiting faculty based in Scotland.
• Work to develop, with the Ministry of Health and Scottish partners, a national oral health strategy.
• Establish a national prevention programme aimed at children, based upon a version of the well-proven Scottish Childsmile programme, already adopted in other international settings.

First published: 3 February 2021