SOME THOUGHTS
Dental Health International Nederland

Dental aid to developing countries.

The objective of dental aid to developing countries is to promote dental health services
- on request - by rendering a material or immaterial contribution to developing programs.

The basic idea is a joint responsibility in the field of prevention, education and management from the dental profession of an industrialized country towards a developing country.

Programs have to fulfill certain criteria.
(The Ten Commandments of dental aid to developing countries)

Target group
A program should be focussed on public oral health or deprived groups such as physically or mentally retarded people.

A clear objective
The objectives of the dental program have to be clearly specified.
It should be indicated what results are to be expected with the help of certain external resources. The target group, the dimension of that group as well as a time-schedule should be agreed upon in advance.

Viability and continuity
The program must be achievable and there has to be a substantial chance that the program will be continued after the initial execution.

Local needs
The program needs to be arisen from local needs and priorities.

Local co-operation
The first demand is cooperation from local authorities. Therefore the program should be developed in a dialogue with local colleagues and authorities. The program should fit in - or at least not be in contradiction with -  local health care programs.

Manpower
Education of local manpower should be implemented to assure acceptance and continuation of the program.

Neutrality
It is imperative that the design and execution of a program is neutral towards race, religion and politics. However choices should be made concerning social class, age, handicaps etc.

Financial foundation
The financial side of a program should be well based. It should be indicated if it is a short program or if it covers several years. The total costs have to be split into fixed periods.

Self-supporting
The program should be financed over a restricted period of time. After that period the program has to be self-supporting or be supported by local authorities.

Reports and evaluation
Agreements have to be made concerning regular reports and evaluation. After a fixed period of time evaluation and  - if necessary - adaptation or even changing the goals has to be made.

Discussion

The main theme of dental aid to developing countries is prevention and education.
This objective can never be achieved as an independent goal
Much care should be given to:
Communication and mutual trust and understanding.     
No help succeeds without fulfilling primary needs, although often in contradiction to the aim of  the program.
No preventive program will ever be successful if it is not accompanied by offering solutions for primary oral health care like relief of pain.

The DHIN practice

DHIN does not offer assistance; DHIN waits for a question directed to us.
Most questions deal with more or less simple dental equipment.
These questions have to meet certain standards, although we keep our Ten Commandments in mind.
    the program pays itself
    it has a social aim
    the program can continue without further support

After communication has been established between DHIN and the other party sometimes more structural questions arise.
In that case we try to introduce a long term planning and a more preventive approach.
The majority of the DHIN projects are short-term programs.

Fons Veraart
Hein van der Woerdt
april 1997
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
SOME THOUGHTS