The Edugascar project is a social action with a high impact on health in Madagascar. It involved a series of activities aimed at child health that allowed more than 1,500 children to receive a medical checkup, including treatments, surgical interventions and also provided hands-on medical training for the participating students . The action was multidisciplinary in scope with professional otolaryngologists, ophthalmologists, opticians and audiologists.

The mission took place in the Ambatondrazaka area, about 250 kilometres from the capital of Madagascar. Five students and two teachers in the years four and five of the Faculty of Dentistry performed these activities in schools, health centres and in the regional hospital.

The aim of the solidarity programme was to provide a dental hygiene training service to 3,300 school-age children and to meet the needs of one of the poorest areas in the world. “Because of the magnitude of the task we found and due of the conditions of the location, no water or electricity, we were still able to treat pain and dental infections and complete a total of 443 dental extractions,” the dean Faculty of Dentistry, Lluís Giner explained.

Raising awareness of social commitment among participating students was also another objective of the programme. The five participating dentistry students worked on acquiring communication skills and how to treat vulnerable patients in addition to learning how to manage dental treatments under conditions with limited means. “We are sure that those who came will undoubtedly pass the word on to their friends,” the dean added.

The medical team that participated in the project was made up of otolaryngologists from the Clarós Foundation, audiologists from the GAES group and a team of opticians and ophthalmologists from the Barraquer Foundation. The material for these practices was given to the expedition by a group of participating businesses: Curaden, Dentaid, Dentalfix, Internacional Ventur and Normon.