Join AfroPHC is its next interactive AfroPHC Policy Workshop on “Oral Health in African PHC” 1-4 pm Central Africa Time on Tuesday 19th April. Check your local time here.
Our panel, moderated by Dr Mercy Wanjala, is made of the following oral health experts . See their bios below.
Dr. Anbar Ganatra:
Dr.Anbar Ganatra is a public health specialist with a keen interest in Primary health care. She currently works in Kiambu county as the County dentist and Sub County Medical Officer of Health for Gatundu South. She serves as the National Deputy Treasurer of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and And Dentists Union, and council member of the Kenya Dental Association. As county dentist, she has planned and coordinated oral health programs at the community level, and integrated oral health care into existing programs such as the beyond zero program and the Transforming Health Systems programs by World Bank. She most recently contributed to the Curriculum design for an eTraining course on oral health promotion, oral disease prevention and control for primary health care workers by the World Health Organisation
Dr. Ansuyah Magan
Dr. Ansuyah Magan is a private general dentist. She has been affiliated to the University of the Witwatersrand since 1990, and is currently an Honorary Senior Research Fellow in the Paediatrics Department. Since completing a doctorate in 2018 on bone growth in South African children, she has mentored local and international PhD students in maternal and child health, health psychology and oral epidemiology. She has published in leading international journals and presented at local and international congresses. Her research interests are in skeletal and dental growth and maturity, and oral health, with a life course and interdisciplinary approach to well-being.
Prof Sudeshni Naidoo
Sudeshni Naidoo is Emeritus Professor and specialist in dental public health at the University of the Western Cape. She is also the Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Oral Health and has worked closely for nearly three decades with the WHO in Geneva and Africa consulting and assisting country members with the development and implementation of policy. She is involved mainly with post-graduate education and training, and has successfully mentored, supervised and graduated nearly 60 Masters and 15 Doctoral students. Her research interests include how colonization and the social, environmental and political contexts influences oral health. Professor Naidoo has presented numerous scientific papers at international conferences and has been an invited, keynote speaker, nationally and internationally on several occasions. She spent many years on the Medical and Dental Professional Board of the Health Professions Council of South Africa, is a Past President of the SA Division of the IADR, current President of the International Dental Ethics and Law Society and on the Preliminary Committee of Inquiry at the Health Professions Council of South Africa.
After the panel discussion of 1 hour we will break up into small groups with specific facilitators / language groups for 45 minutes to discuss the following question/s.
- What are the challenges in integration and delivery of oral health services at the primary care level?
- What solutions can be employed to improve oral health care services and their integration into primary care services?
- What role can digital health technology and innovations play in the improvement of oral health care in Africa?
We will close the meeting with feedback and summarise key issues. We want to build discussions into the draft AfroPHC Policy Document “Building the PHC Team for UHC in Africa”. The panel and feedback will have French translations.
Please register your interest for the Policy Workshops on the AfroPHC policy page. We will provide you the zoom meeting details a few days before the meeting.
See recording of workshop and presentations below