World Oral Health Day

Led by FDI World Dental Federation, World Oral Health Day (WOHD) is a global advocacy day celebrated every year to raise awareness on oral health and its relevance to our overall wellbeing. In 2019, Manila Water Foundation geared up its WOHD celebration into a monthlong celebration with the theme “Say Ahh: Act on Mouth Health.”

In coordination with Laguna Water, the Foundation held its onsite event at Biñan Integrated National High School, Laguna with over 200 students as participants on March 20, 2019. The event transpired with a series of learning sessions on oral hygiene, and dental consultations with dentist-representatives from Philippine Dental Association (PDA) Biñan Dental Chapter and PDA San Pedro Dental Chapter. The learning sessions highlighted oral health care tips and habits such as eating healthy, using oral hygiene products appropriately, visiting the dentist regularly, as well as critical times and steps to proper toothbrushing. To immediately practice what the participants have learned, the Foundation led a toothbrushing demonstration and set up hygiene bins where the participants brushed their teeth. The Foundation also turned over Information, Education and Communication (IEC) tools on the 7 Steps to Proper Toothbrushing to the school. Meanwhile, hygiene partner PHILUSA Corporation provided oral hygiene kits that would help the participants to extend what they have learned in their homes.

Throughout the month of March, the Foundation also conducted a social media campaign, “Learn and Win,” that encouraged its Facebook followers to participate and share the campaign through trivia and quizzes. Digital and print billboards along major thoroughfares were also installed to scale up the campaign’s promotion.

Overall, through the promotion efforts mentioned, the Foundation’s WOHD campaign was able to reach 3,397,946 individuals.

 

 

 

Institution/s

A multi-sectoral partnership has also been established for this campaign. Manila Water Foundation conducted WOHD with its partners, Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Dental Association (PDA), University of the Philippines Manila College of Dentistry (UPM-CD), Laguna Water, as well as to its co-presenter, PHILUSA Corporation.

 

 

Impact

By maximizing its online and traditional platforms, the Foundation was able to reach 3,397,946. News articles picked up by major local news outlets and online posts from the Foundation and its partners amplified the reach of the campaign. It launched an online quiz contest that aimed to raise awareness about proper oral hygiene and scale up the engagement during the campaign period.