he Andhra Pradesh government and Colgate-Palmolive (India) Ltd. on Monday launched ‘Dr. YSR Chirunavvu’ from a school at Podalakur in SPSR Nellore district to step up awareness among children on oral health.
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Inaugurating a pilot project as part of the collaborative initiative in his home constituency of Sarvepalli, State Agriculture Minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy underscored the importance of oral hygiene in children.
The project is aimed at bringing down the incidence of cavities and other dental problems in children through structured information on oral health, explained the Fast-Moving Consuming Goods(FMCG) major Colgate-Palmolive India’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Prabha Narasimhan. “We hope to reach about 4 million children in Andhra Pradesh through this project,” she said. Colgate has partnered with Sambhav Foundation, an NGO, to implement the project. The Colgate-Palmolive India will cover over 2,600 government schools in the district, before moving to other districts in the State.
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According to a World Health Organisation report in 2022, prevalence of untreated decaying milk teeth in children in the age group of 1 to 9 was 43.3 % and prevalence of untreated decaying of permanent teeth in those aged above 5 was 28.8 %.
In a message released on the occasion, State Health Minister Vidadala Rajini said the State government believed that the primary healthcare was the first step in achieving health goals.
She said: “We are excited to partner with Colgate India in the journey of stepping up oral health awareness and preventive tobacco sensitisation for the school children of the State. The collaboration supports the government’s project, DR YSR Chirunavvu - the brainchild of Chief Minister Y.S Jagan Mohan Reddy. We appreciate the efforts of Colgate India for providing equipment in government dental colleges and hospitals.” in government dental colleges and hospitals, which will further strengthen better oral health for people of the State.”