Integrated Dental and Health Program

NEED

  • Access to Medical Care: There are no health centres, doctors or hospitals in the three villages of Lam Asan, Lampineung and Lam Gapang. The nearest doctor is a 15 minute motorbike ride and difficult to access by foot, and the nearest hospital is in Banda Aceh, 10 km away.
  • Malaria and Dengue Fever Prevention and Treatment: The area suffers from a high rate of Malaria and Dengue Fever. There is no awareness of what constitute breeding grounds for mosquitoes, self protection or how to lessen the occurrences of these diseases, identify them and prevent fatalities.
  • Diabetes: According to the World Health Organisation, Indonesia has the fourth highest rate of diabetes in the world. Aceh has the highest rate of diabetes and related conditions in Indonesia. 35% of all patients who go for treatment to the RSUZA Hospital in Banda Aceh are diabetes sufferers. There is no awareness of the disease, its causes or symptoms. Awareness can reduce occurrences and therefore fatalities.
  • Dental: It is quite normal to see even young people with half broken, black and rotten teeth. The attitude to milk teeth dental care is that it is not important as they fall out anyway, and so children never learn to look after their teeth. Sugar intake is high, with adults and children alike drinking sugar water as quick 'pick me ups' after and during work at the brick factories. The cost of a toothbrush and toothpaste represents half a days wage and is considered a luxury rather than essential.

SCOPE

Chance International needs funding to run this mobile Program on a monthly basis, to cover 300 children and their mothers per month, to prevent, identify and raise awareness of debilitating and fatal illnesses common in the region. We would like to continue this program to cover 40 villages in the Aceh Besar District. This includes:

  • access to medical and dental care
  • distribution of dental supplies

                                                                      
Monthly Running Costs
It costs 1 € per person to run this Program.

Where Your Money Goes
Examples of how far your money goes follow. It costs us:
5 € to buy 18 toothbrushes
10 € to buy 37 tubes of toothpaste

Money directed to this Program is spent on:

  • Set Up Costs: Hand Held Mirrors and Cups.
  • Running Costs: Toothbrushes, Toothpaste, Water (drinkable), Red Dye Tablets, Transportation Costs, Dental and Medical Team Attendance in Villages, Co-ordinator Costs (travels to the villages to arrange with the community the date, time and place of training) and Printed Information (in easy reading format with pictures leaflet).