Dental News - ADA helps seek funding to rebuild dental offices in Haiti

American Dental Association

Thu. 22 July 2010

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CHICAGO, IL/NEW YORK, NY, USA: The American Dental Association (ADA) through its Division of Global Affairs and Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO) recently announced a joint initiative to help rebuild or re-equip some 30 Port-au-Prince dental practices damaged or destroyed by the earthquake that struck Haiti earlier this year. HVO is a U.S. non-profit organization dedicated to improving the availability and quality of health care in developing countries through the training and education of local health care providers.

The effort by the two organizations, “Adopt-a-Practice: Rebuilding Dental Offices in Haiti,” seeks to raise US$300,000 by the end of this year. Port-au-Prince lost nearly a third of its dental offices because of the January earthquake.

“With about 350 dentists for a population of 9 million, Haiti has the lowest ratio of dentists per population in the Western hemisphere,” said Dr Samuel Prophete, president of the Haiti Dental Association. “Our biggest challenge actually is to try to do as much as we can to give the dentists who lost their practices after the earthquake the opportunity to rebuild and stay in the country in order to better serve their fellow Haitians.”

“Because of the depressed economy in Haiti, even small contributions will go a long way toward putting dentists back on their feet so that they can resume their practices,” said ADA President Ronald L. Tankersley. “A shortage of dental care pre-existed the earthquake in Haiti. So it is critical that we do what we can to help restore the country’s dental workforce.”

An estimated US$10,000 can greatly contribute to rebuilding each practice, according to Dr Prophete. So any donation – no matter the amount – can make an enormous impact in the communities surrounding earthquake-devastated Haiti.

Donors can contribute to the Adopt-a-Practice fund at www.hvousa.org/membershipForm/haiti.php. HVO also accepts donations by phone at +1 202 296 0928 and by mail to Health Volunteers Overseas, 1900 L Street, NW #310, Washington, DC 20036. Donation checks must be made payable to Health Volunteers Overseas and the memo line should read: ADA/HVO Haiti.

(Edited by Fred Michmershuizen, DTA)

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