Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, November 29, 2024 – Over 6000 residents are smiling a little brighter for the holidays following the recently concluded 1000 Smiles free dental clinics, and oral health education workshops implemented by the Sandals Foundation and its partners, United States based non-profit Great Shape! Inc.

As part of its continued commitment to community health and development, the Sandals Foundation coordinated logistics for a series of public dental clinics at the Church of God of Prophecy in Five Cays and at the clinic at the Public Hospital in Providenciales. Beaches Resorts team members also benefited from the services which included cleaning, filling, extractions, root canals, x-rays, dentures, dental sealants and fluoride treatment, through a staff clinic held at the Key West Conference Room on resort.

Shantelle Senior-Clarke, Project Manager of Great Shapes! Inc. in highlighting the continued success of this year’s initiative, noted, “For the three weeks of dental clinics which included the post operational phase, there were a total of 1157 cleanings, 968 fillings, 724 extractions, 75 X-rays, 260 dental sealants, 725 fluoride treatments, 30 root canals, and 82 follow – ups.” She further added, “It was a lot of hard work but well worth it.”

This year’s success was made possible through the collaboration of key stakeholders such as the Ministry of Health and Human Services, Turks and Caicos Islands Government Dental Clinic.

Together, they successfully managed the logistics of one hundred and forty two (142) volunteer dental care practitioners and non-dental professionals from the United States, Canada and the Caribbean over a one month period.

Dr. Maria Tuason, a volunteer with the programme for over five years who also took her 12 year old grand-daughter shared, “one of the most rewarding part of my visits has always been the interaction with children. Both adults and children are afraid at times of the procedures but whenever I talk with them and explain what I will be doing, they usually feel more comfortable in allowing me to provide them with the service. This year was no different as I got the chance to provide quality care for the people of Turks and Caicos Islands and gave them back their confidence with their smiles.”

In addition to the dental services, residents also had their capacity built in preventative oral health care education. The oral health education team visited twelve schools throughout Providenciales sharing in a fun and engaging activities with students and distributing oral healthcare packages for continued use.

By targeting children, it is hoped that healthy dental hygiene habits will be developed at an early age. Early Childhood teacher at BEST Institute Dawn Brivett-Ford shared, “Early education helps to prevent common dental problems like gum disease and cavities. Learning about oral health with a fun team like our volunteers, also helps children develop a positive attitude towards dental care. A positive impression in childhood will last for a lifetime.”

Orville Morgan, Public Relations Manager said while the scheduled visits coincided with schools’ mid – term breaks, “We were willing to visit two schools in one day when necessary because this is valuable information being shared.”

“Maintaining good oral health is important at every age but is particularly important during childhood, Morgan noted, “Poor oral health has been linked to health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, and respiratory infections. With that being said, dental health education can help children take control of their oral health. It is likely to boost their self-confidence, academic performance may improve and also their quality of life.”

Managing Director of Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort and Sandals Foundation Ambassador, James McAnally affirmed the resort’s promise to delivering quality service to the community in support of the wellbeing of families. “We are as committed to the residents of the Turks and Caicos, a large percentage of whom make up our workforce. Knowing that there are families in need of dental care who cannot afford to visit the dentist, motivates us to continue our partnership with Great Shapes! Inc. Each year the volunteers provide quality dental care and they work tirelessly to serve as many patients as possible.”

PHOTO CAPTIONS

Header – Dr Janice A.M. Baron, (left) Chief Dental Officer within the Ministry of Health and Human Services examines the Beaches Turks and Caicos dental clinic space at the Key West conference room along with Dental Hygienist Sophia Harris.

1st insert – One of the dental hygienist with the Great Shape Inc! 1000 Smiles programme takes her time to provide the best service to one of the clients at the Church of God of Prophecy in Five Cays at the community clinic

2nd insert – The Beaches Turks and Caicos resort team members had a full team of dental professionals in the comfort of the Key West Village conference which was converted into a dental clinic for two weeks, here a dental hygienist provides services to on of the team members

 3rd insert – The Church of God of Prophecy hall for the second consecutive year was converted into a state of the art dental clinic where clients were able to receive various services from the Great Shape Inc! 1000 Smiles dental team for two weeks

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, November 29, 2024 – More than 3500 students from 12 schools in Turks and Caicos Islands were given a greater chance at fighting and preventing cavities, after the Sandals Foundation, Ministry of Health and Human Services Dental Unit and Great Shape! Inc, brought their school-based oral health education preventative programme to the schools recently.

“Oral health is a very important part of overall proper health, and even more critical for children as they develop healthy habits. We must ensure that the proper dental hygiene is taught to children as early as possible, and where necessary, provide preventative services such as sealants to help prevent future damage to their teeth. Our partnership with Great Shape! Inc has, for the past decade, brought health care services to hundreds of thousands across the Caribbean, and that is something we are proud of,” said executive director of the Sandals Foundation, Heidi Clarke.

Principal of the Thelma Lightbourne Primary School, Robin Cox-Foster while expressing gratitude for the new information being shared to her students highlighted the long term benefits for the children.

Said Cox-Foster: “Every student was able to benefit in a tangible way from the information and materials being shared on improving their oral health. The different professionals shared with them basic habits that will ensure that they can enjoy a healthier oral lifestyle. The parents have expressed their satisfaction with the new information that their children received from the volunteers with helping them improve their oral health habits.”

In addition to the oral health education, each student received toothbrush, fluoride toothpaste, dental floss and lessons on how to properly care for their teeth. Ministry of Health dental nurse Kenesha Lewis shared her satisfaction with the quality information that the students received.

“The students were also taught how eating certain unhealthy foods, improper brushing and lack of flossing could damage their teeth and affect them in the future. As a team we were able to impact students in all the government primary schools in Providenciales which we are sure will help in the better care of their oral health as they get older,” Lewis shared.

Dr Susan Delpeche, Dental Surgeon of the Turks and Caicos Islands Government Dental Clinic noted, “This type of outreach has been phenomenal, considering that access to proper dental care is not affordable for many of our students. The volunteers are all great individuals, and our hearts swell with appreciation for the work they have done. The infusion of brighter smiles brought about by Great Shape! Inc 1000 Smiles and the Sandals Foundation has been a wonderful experience.”

Henri Johnson, first-time volunteer to Great Shape! was eager to share with the students at the different schools.

“The team of volunteers here are very respectful and professional and the next generation of volunteers who came were amazing. I just love them all. Before I begin a presentation in each class I would explain why it is important to practice proper oral hygiene and how to prevent cavities. The end result is always the best. They offer the most precious hugs and smiles,” said Johnson.

Jace Mullings, grade 6 student at the Richmond Hill Preparatory school shared, “The presentation from these volunteers was very informative for the children at my school. They included us in their presentations and demonstrated to us how to take care of our oral health. We have been learning this in our classes but the way that the dentists shared it, made it more fun and easier to understand.”

During the two weeks, 42 volunteers shared in the oral health education programme at the schools. The message of good oral care was shared with all classes at the schools. The Great Shape! Inc Programme was launched in Jamaica in 2003, led by Great Shape! Inc Executive Director Joseph Wright. “Our project is a preventative one. Our mission is to go into the schools to reduce or prevent cavities, and having educators and dentists sharing with the children is a proven and cost-effective way to do that,” Wright said.

The Sandals Foundation and Great Shape! Inc partnership has provided eye care and dental services to over 300,000 people in Jamaica, St Lucia, Grenada, and Turks and Caicos Islands.

Captions:

Header – Students from the Enid Capron Primary School in Five Cays share bright smiles and the gifts that they received from the Great Shape Inc! 1000 Smiles Dental volunteers

1st insert – A group of Elite School students share a photo opportunity with some of the Great Shape Inc! Dental volunteers at the school while teachers and administrators join in the celebrations

2nd insert– An Elite Primary School student demonstrates the proper technique in brushing the teeth to one of the Great Shape Inc! 1000 Smiles volunteers  while her classmates look on

 3rd insert – Kenesha Lewis from the Dental Department within the Ministry of Health and Human Services (standing right) was engaged along with the students at the Richmond Hill Preparatory school as one of the volunteers from the Great Shape Inc! 1000 Smiles team explains the benefits of maintaining proper dental hygiene

Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.   November 18, 2024.  Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the dominating global public health and development threats.[1],[2] AMR occurs when pathogens, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites, no longer respond to antimicrobial medicines like antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitics. As such, medicines are not as effective as they should be and infections and illness become more challenging to treat, which can result in severe illness, morbidity, and death.²

Globally, bacterial AMR was reportedly directly responsible for 1.27 million global deaths in 2019 and contributed to 4.95 million deaths.^1,2 In the Caribbean and Latin America region, AMR contributed to 322,000 deaths in 2021. This regional figure is projected to increase to 650,000 by 2050, propelling the Caribbean and Latin America among those regions with the leading AMR mortality rates. [3]

The World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW) is a global campaign to raise awareness and understanding of AMR and promote best practices among One Health stakeholders to reduce the emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections. WAAW is celebrated from 18-24 November every year. This year’s WAAW theme is “Educate. Advocate. Act now.” which calls for the education of stakeholders, resolute advocacy at all levels and concrete actions in response to AMR. [4]

Dr Lisa Indar, Ad Interim Executive Director, Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), shared, “AMR has been identified as one of the top regional priorities among CARPHA Member States. CARPHA, through a One Health Approach, is working with key international agencies to strengthen integrated AMR surveillance to boost pandemic preparedness and response and regional health security.”

CARPHA is currently working with the UK Health Security (UKHSA) and the UK Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Fleming Fund, in conjunction with CARPHA’s Pandemic Fund project and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), to improve both regional and national AMR detection and surveillance in the Caribbean region.