KENNETH JOHNSON FOUNDATION

As the world celebrates Oral Health Day tagged A HAPPY MOUTH IS A HAPPYBODY, a non-governmental organization, the Kenneth Johnson Foundation, has taken its awareness campaign to Bodo Primary School 1 and Community Primary School in Kaani 1 and 2 to promote oral health among the pupils.

Some pupils and teachers who spoke to the newsmen said the foundation gave out toothbrushes and toothpaste and encouraged them to practice good oral hygiene regularly.

“I learned how to clean my teeth. They said I should brush my teeth two times a day and use clean water to rinse my mouth. They gave us toothbrushes and close-ups”. (pupil 1) 

“They taught me that early in the morning when I wake up, I should wash my mouth and brush my teeth after eating before going to school. And when the day was done, they gave me a toothbrush and toothpaste”. (pupil 2)

“The Kenneth Johnson Foundation came to my school today. I was very happy because the school in Kaani is not the only school in the local government. It's a privilege for us that our school benefits from this Kenneth Johnson Foundation oral health awareness programme”. (Headmistress  CPS Kaani)

On his part, the head of statistics and research of the Kenneth Johnson Foundation, Dr Deebom Dun Zorle, said the foundation aims to raise awareness about the importance of oral health and the prevention of dental diseases.

“You know, from the statistics, the global statistics of the convention that was held in 2014, it was discovered that about 3.5% of the pupils in the world suffer from oral health-related diseases.

Billions of people in the world suffer from one dental issue or the other. And about 530 million pupils are suffered by children within the primary school age.

And so, as a foundation, it is necessary to go to the foundation, to go to the root, to ensure,  educate, and to carry out an awareness campaign for the youth and pupils, for the pupils to take good care of their mouths”. (Dr. Deebom Zorle)

Meanwhile, the dental health practitioner, Kamalu Vincent, called on the government at all levels, to take responsibility for creating more awareness about oral health in schools across the state.

“As a dental health practitioner in the society, I would like to suggest or to call the attention of the state government and the local government,

cut across the 23 LGAs in River State precisely, that they should see these days as their responsibilities.

And secondly, they should employ a health teacher in all the primary and secondary schools in the state. And also enhance the health centres”. (Kamalu Vincent)

Dr Kenneth Johnson Lewa the Chief Executive Officer Kenneth Johnson Foundation promised the pupils that the foundation would be visiting them every three months to replace their toothbrush Paste.

Nurse Lattest Burabari Kenneth-Johnson appealed to parents and teachers to give attention to the oral health of the children and pupils to avoid Halitosis and other related mouth diseases.