A kind-hearted north-east dental student is getting her teeth into a project to improve the oral health of children in the developing world.
Clare Lowe, from Westhill, Aberdeenshire, has travelled to Tanzania with the charity Go Make A Difference over the last three summer.
Already she has helped to build a health centre, taught health education and organised a nationwide oral health survey.
Now Miss Lowe is preparing to travel to Musoma in a rural area of the country, as part of a group of dentists from the Aberdeen Dental School who will launch a new oral health programme that she has developed.
She said the level of support she had been able to provide had increased as her education progressed.
“When I first went out, I hadn’t started my dental course yet so I was helping to do all kinds of things like helping provide clean water sources and teaching general health education to youngsters.
“But as I progressed in my dental course, I realised the skills I was learning in Aberdeen could be put to good use in Tanzania.”
Miss Lowe found a particular need for her services in Musoma, where oral hygiene education has been very poor.
“Locals use a frayed stick to clean their teeth as toothbrushes and toothpaste are expensive, they’re just not a priority for these people.
“Little was done in terms of prevention. They were forced to wait until something went wrong with a tooth and then either pull it out, or consult a local witch doctor.
“Last summer I started working with the local government to develop an oral healthcare programme. We started off by conducting a survey around villages in the area and used this information to develop Cheka Zaidi – which translates as ‘Laugh More’.”
During their trip, the group will teach a local team how to deliver the Laugh More programme.
The bulk of the party will return to Aberdeen after two weeks, but Miss Lowe will stay on and visit schools in the area with the local team.
She said she was in it for the long term.
“The team will work closely with local school teachers to train them in supervising daily tooth brushing and they will visit each school every month to re-enforce key oral hygiene messages and to ensure the daily supervised tooth brushing is continuing,” shed added.
“I’ll also keep going back for the next five years to support them, re-stock supplies and ensure everything is progressing.”
Aberdeen University spread their international wings
A north-east university is spreading its wings globally after signing an historic international agreement.
Aberdeen University has established its first international campus, in South Korea, following a ceremony in the city of Changwon.
The campus, which is expected to open in September next year, will offer courses in offshore-related subjects, such as subsea engineering.
The agreement means the university is the first in the UK to have a campus in the country, providing Aberdeen students with the opportunity to develop their international experience and build links with their counterparts in East Asia.
Seth Kunin, the university’s vice-principal, said: “This agreement is a significant milestone in the long history of the University of Aberdeen, and we are all excited by the prospect of establishing our first overseas campus in South Korea.
“As part of its economic strategy the South Korean Government is keen to develop its offshore industry, and it is a testament to the academic expertise that exists here that we were chosen as a partner in this project.
“The new campus will export our world-class educational offering to a new market in East Asia, but it will also open up huge opportunities in research thanks to the impressive facilities located there.
“Not only this, but the campus will provide our students with opportunities to develop their international experience, and is a major step forward in the internationalisation of our activities and in raising the university’s profile in a key region of the world.”