Categories Finished, Healthcare, PAR, South Africa
Location InfoSouth Africa
DescriptionThe Healthy Teeth Challenge
In South Africa there are few dentists in the townships. Dental health is found to be poor in these areas, with a large number of children experiencing toothache and consequently not going to school. The Healthy Teeth Challenge was set up in order to address this issue and find solutions together with inhabitants of Mfuleni Township and other stakeholders.
The Healthy Teeth Challenge won the UVA alumni Award 2017 for this project.
Challenge details
The 7Senses Challenge is an intensive 12-week program for students, post-graduates and professionals. In a multi-disciplinary, international team they perform Participatory Action Research in the field to boost community empowerment while at the same time work on their own personal and professional development.
| Challenge name |
Healthy Teeth Challenge |
| Start date |
March 9th 2017 |
| Status |
Finished |
| Duration |
9 weeks |
| Country |
South Africa |
| Coordinator |
Alice Grasveld |
| Number of participants |
4 |
| Number of local researchers |
2 |
Each Challenge design starts from a community issue, addressed by its problem owners at location. As such, we make sure the Challenge is based on local demand rather than donor demand. Together with these local stakeholders, we design the Challenge in a way that fits the local context, from the problem framing up to methodology and concept definitions.
Dental Wellness Trust states that 80% of the children in South African townships suffer from tooth decay. The most common cause of school absenteeism, next to diarrhoea, is toothache. Two dentists and one oral hygienist serve the whole of Mfuleni township in Cape Town, which has a population nearing 100.000 people. Many children in townships have never had a personal toothbrush, most share theirs with their family.
To co-create and implement together with local stakeholders a Community Action Plan to improve oral Health among primary school children in Mfuleni Township, Cape Town.
What kind of intervention, that takes into account the local circumstances, can be co-create by local stakeholders for the children age 0-12 in Mfuleni township to improve oral health and to lower school absenteeism?
What are the barriers to search dental healthcare for people (children) in Mfuleni, according to the community members?
What are the cultural beliefs and practices of people in Mfuleni township regarding oral hygiene behaviours?
What are the dietary habits and how can we use information about the diet to raise awareness?
How can Dental Wellness Trust transfer health knowledge in a systemic way that is more sustainable?
Participatory observation, dietary anamnesis, Photovoice, semi-structured interviews, disclosing test/plaque scores, focus groups
cleanliness, school absenteeism, tooth brushing, oral health, oral hygiene behaviors, oral hygiene education, diet.
Each Challenge delivers direct outcomes for the local community on the addressed issue: we can share how many people have been reached, what their perspective is on the current and desired situation and what final Community Action Plan (CAP) they have co-created and implemented. In a later stage, local stakeholders will evaluate the impact of the CAP.
8000. Before the start of the Healthy Teeth Challenge in 2017 there were 2000 children in the Dental Wellnes Trust toothbrushing programme, now, early 2018, there are about 10.000 children joining the programme
Locals have made a problem tree in order to define their current situation with regards to oral health.
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The local stakeholders co-created an Oral Health Education and handwashing/toothbrushing program at Itsitsa Primary School, where now about 10.000 children participate in. They recruited new toothbrushing volunteers. They started a WhatsApp group: Itsitsa Primary Oral Health Promoters. They started a Facebook group: Itsitsa Primary Parents for Oral Health and Nutrition. They also started Education groups to spread the message about oral health At Itsitsa Primary School. Apart from these implemented activities, there is a wide range of other activities to be implemented. Read more about these activities in the final report below.
The Healthy Teeth Challenge won the UvA Alumni award 2017.
The impact of this Challenge has not been measured yet. Currently, Challenge Coordinator Alice Grasveld is back in Cape Town to measure impact with other local stakeholders. As soon as we have results of the impact measurement, it will be presented here.
Team
Alice Grasveld
Coordinator & Action Reseacher
Feray Coban
Action Researcher
Amber-Lynn Bagchus
Action Researcher
Fleur Rudolphus
Action Researcher
Sao Ying Lai
Action Researcher
Mavis Phahlindlela
Action Researcher
Dieketso Nobonke Mphelisi
Action Researcher
Sustainable Development Goals
Challenge Reports
Each Challenge delivers one or more reports. Read here all detailed information on the PAR methodology and outcomes of this Challenge.
