Dental Asia May/June 2022

GIVING BACK TO SOCIETY
Henry Schein donates PPE items to Legion of Goodwill in Brazil
Henry Schein, in partnership with the Legion
of Goodwill — Brazil, a non-profit organisation
that provides educational and social
assistance programmes for economically
disadvantaged communities, announced
a donation of more than 400,000 personal
protective equipment (PPE) items to help
mitigate the spread of COVID-19 across Brazil.
Henry Schein’s global distribution and supply
chain network managed the donation working
through Henry Schein Cares, the company’s
global corporate social responsibility
programme.
The donation includes KN95 face masks and
face shields, which were gathered at Henry
Schein’s distribution centre located in Denver,
Pennsylvania, US and transported by sea to
the Port of Santos, São Paulo, Brazil.
From there, the product was sent by ground
to LGW Brazil headquarters, where the
items were distributed by ground and air
across Brazil, reaching more than 165,000
at-risk individuals living in vulnerable
situations.
“Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic,
Henry Schein Cares has donated more than
10 million PPE items to help mitigate the
spread of the virus,” said Jennifer Kim Field,
vice-president of CSR, Henry Schein. “We’re
thankful to the Legion of Goodwill, and our
non-governmental organisation (NGO) and
supplier partners, for their support in this
most recent effort in Brazil, and we will
remain vigilant, prioritising safety as society
continues to navigate this pandemic.”
Other organisations that assisted in
facilitating this donation of product include:
Anvisa, Associação Educacional Boa
Vontade (AEBV), C.H. Robinson, Dental
Speed, Henry Schein Brazil, and Latam
Airlines.
“We are thankful to Henry Schein Cares for
their generous donation of PPE products
in response to the recent high COVID-19
infection rates in Brazil,” said Silvana Balbo,
vice-president of marketing, Henry Schein
Brazil. “This donation, and the overall
mission of Henry Schein Cares, align
nicely with our commitment to assisting
economically disadvantaged communities
across Brazil.” ■
Planmeca technology brings dental treatments and education to
Papua New Guinea
The lack of infrastructure in Papua New Guinea
makes delivering health care services quite
challenging in a country where 84% of the
population lives in mostly inaccessible rural
areas, often completely without electricity.
Four Planmeca Compact i Classic units on
board a cruise vessel will bring healthcare
services to the country. The ship also includes a
laboratory to test for tuberculosis, malaria and
other diseases as well as an ophthalmology
clinic for eye surgeries. Additionally, a truck
equipped with three new Planmeca Compact
i3 dental units will visit local schools for dental
screenings and education. Educating children
to take care of their teeth early on is essential,
since the country has one of the highest rates
of oral cancer in the world.
The medical vehicles are both initiatives
by the Townsville association of a global
humanitarian movement Youth with a Mission
(YWAM). For the past 11 years, the volunteers
of the association have been operating
medical ships to Papua New Guinea to
reach remote coastal communities and offer
them medical care and training they would
otherwise have no access to.
The truck offers even more opportunities
for providing dental care and education with
a proper infrastructure, including offering
training in dental basic procedures for the
local health workers. Although the country has
a population of about nine million, there are
currently only 62 dentists in the country, so the
support is much needed.
have allowed hundreds of locals the chance for
proper dental care, which they often need. ■
Melissa Kauk, YWAM, and Clive Dodd, Henry
Schein, in the truck with the recently equipped
Planmeca Compact i3 dental unit
Besides bringing medical and dental care and
education to the local population, both vehicles
are also used to offer local dentists the chance
for practical training.
Planmeca’s local distributor in Australia,
Henry Schein, and the Henry Schein Cares
Foundation, donated the dental equipment
for both vehicles. The Planmeca dental units
The truck arrived in Port Moresby in March
2022 and was welcomed by the YWAM team
Images courtesy of YWAM Mercy Ships
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DENTAL ASIA MAY / JUNE 2022