In brief
JENELLE PETRINCHUK STAFF
U of M team to fight plaque, dentist shortage, in Ghana
Ghana, Africa will soon be benefitting from the University of Manitoba’s Centre for Community Oral Health (CCOH), a community outreach program that provides dental care for those in need outside of the university.
The shortage of dentists in Ghana is so great there is only one dentist for every 175,000 citizens, while there is one for ever 1,788 patients in Canada, according to a U of M press release. U of M will be sending three dentists, a dental hygienist, a dental therapist and two dental assistants to aid and educate citizens with dental hygiene.
The initial two-week trip is expected to help approximately 1,000 people by providing cleanings, extractions, fillings and preventive treatments.
“This is our pilot trip to get our feet on the ground and gain local knowledge of doing outreach dentistry in Ghana,” said Doug Brothwell, director of CCOH, in the release. “It is a first step in establishing a longterm commitment to improving oral health in Ghana.”
The Republic of Ghana is north of the Gulf of Guinea, is bordered by Cote D’Ivoire and Togo, and is home to almost 20 million citizens.
Pharmacy students flock to Winnipeg for national conference
The University of Manitoba’s faculty of pharmacy was the host to Professional Development Week (PDW), held Jan. 17 to 21. The theme of this year’s conference was “Embracing Diversity: Putting the Pieces Together.”
According to the faculty of pharmacy, over 500 students were able to take in lectures from a variety of successful professionals, covering many different fields of work such as a forensic toxicology, clinical pharmacy, and business.
The event’s keynote speaker was Myrella Roy, who served as a volunteer with Pharmacists Without Borders, a humanitarian association that specializes in improving health care through accessibility and quality. She also is the executive director of the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists, the founding president of the Canadian College of Clinical Pharmacy and worked at the Ottawa Hospital in pharmacy, critical care, and neurosciences.
Competitions and social events also took place, as the group spent an evening at the Empire, a downtown Winnipeg bar. A Texas-themed social was also held at Assiniboia Downs, according to the PDW website.
The annual conference is open to members of the Canadian Association of Pharmacy Students and Interns.
Students team up to fight climate change
During the Week of Action, thousands of students across North America campaigned for stronger government action on climate change problems, according to a press release issued by the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition (CYCC), a non-profit group that focuses on issues dealing with the problems arising from climate change.
The Week of Action, held from Jan. 19 to Feb. 2, kicked off with a rally on Parliament Hill on Monday, Jan. 29.
Seven provinces in Canada participated in the Week of Action, including Manitoba. Activities will include viewings of Al Gore’s film An Inconvenient Truth, discussion panels, conferences, polar-ice dips, and lectures.
CYCC was founded in September 2006. Based in Toronto, it is a member of the Canada-U.S. Energy Action Coalition.
“Students around the world know the realities about global climate change — and here in Canada it’s an embarrassment to explain how little our government is doing,” stated Zoë Caron, a member of CYCC, in a coalition statement on the event.
