Outreach programme to cover rural areas

COMMON dental problems among rural communities in East Sepik are periodontal disease and caries, or tooth decay, dental officer Zico Zairo said from Wewak yesterday.
He said this following a rural health outreach programme organised by the provincial government for eye and oral health specialists at Sassoya, Yangoru-Saussia district, recently.
The mountainous topography and population concentration in remote areas make eye care and oral health all the more critical in a country where rural healthcare and income are not steady.
“Those with vision or mouth problems and living in rural areas do not get all the support they need and are left to suffer in silence,” Zairo said.
The week-long programme aimed at promoting healthy living and bringing health services to the bulk of population in remote areas.
Zairo said not many people cared about their oral health and that leads to tooth decay, which is usually caused by a collection of food debris on the teeth.
 “The outreach is a good initiative taken by the East Sepik provincial government to deliver health services to the majority in rural areas.
“Most patients who got checked were old as travelling long distances into town is considered costly,” he said.
The team is looking at extending the programme to Aitape, Lumi and other remote parts of West Sepik.