Mum You First’ programme to help promote oral healthcare for young children

The launch of the ‘Mum You First’ Partnership Pro­gramme by Colgate-Palmo­live (Fiji) Ltd is about providing mothers with Mum You First starter packs.

The launch at the Ministry of Health Wellness Centre in Suva on Monday saw the Colgate-Palmolive (Fiji) Ltd hand over the 15,000 start­er kits to the Ministry of Health.

The starter kits contain simple oral care products and are expect­ed to be available around Fiji.

The programme is to motivate mothers to be the role models of tooth brushing twice-a-day and us­ing the best oral care products. The mothers would be receiving the starter kit when they first come to their clinics after giving birth.

National Advisor for Non-Com­municable Disease Dr Isimeli Tu­kana said, that before they had dental problems with children and with this programme they wanted to reduce it.

“We are targeting from birth to five years of age children to teach about the programme,” Mr Tuka­na said.

“We want to reduce the den­tal carries because last survey showed most of the children below five years were facing dental prob­lems,” he said.

Dr Naina Kau, Professional Relations and Community Pro­grammes Co-ordinator, said that the purpose of this launch was to help educate mothers, caregivers and family members on the impor­tance of family support towards developing and instilling good health habits in the lives of the children at an early age.

“Colgate values its partnership with the Ministry of Health and we are optimistic that this pro­gramme and all the other partner­ship programmes will help im­prove the oral health status of our children and all Fijians,” Ms Kau said.

Edited by Jonathan Bryce

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