SHERIDAN, WYOMING - November 10, 2025 - The FDI World Dental Federation has named three innovative projects from Nigeria, Kenya, and Tanzania as recipients of the 2025 World Dental Development Fund (WDDF), underscoring a strong commitment to equitable access to oral health care in low-resource settings. Each project demonstrates how community-based initiatives can integrate dental care into broader health and social development programs.
Integrating Oral Health Into Nutrition Programs in Nigeria
In Oyo State, Nigeria, the NOMALnutrition initiative is redefining community health delivery by embedding oral health care within existing nutrition programmes. Partnering with six organizations that already support vulnerable populations such as children living on the street and elderly rural residents, the project will reach approximately 500 people each month.
By focusing on Noma-a severe oral disease linked to malnutrition and poverty-the programme trains nutrition officers to recognize common oral conditions, distribute hygiene kits alongside food supplements, and collect field data using WHO tools. Through this integration, NOMALnutrition is building a sustainable model that weaves oral health into nutrition services, ensuring that awareness and treatment extend across Oyo State's most underserved communities.
Expanding Preventive Oral Health for Mothers and Children in Kenya
In Western Kenya's Bungoma County, a new pilot is embedding preventive oral health education into the successful Chamas for Change programme. The initiative will work with 15 existing women's groups to reach 300 pregnant women and their 300 children, while training 30 Community Health Promoters (CHPs) to deliver oral health education and basic preventive care.
The project leverages Chamas' proven peer-based model for maternal and child health, focusing on the critical "first 1,000 days" between pregnancy and age two-when maternal oral health can directly shape child health outcomes. Using WHO's Basic Package of Oral Care and the RE-AIM framework, this pilot will evaluate feasibility, impact, and scalability, offering a potential blueprint for national integration into Kenya's primary care systems.
Empowering Tanzania's Dental Students to Drive Local Change
In Tanzania, Miracle Corners Tanzania is partnering with local health colleges to strengthen oral health awareness among 3,000 school-aged children across Mbeya, Iringa, and Tanga regions. The project blends classroom learning with direct community outreach, training 90 final-year dental therapist students to deliver education, screening, and treatment for at least 600 students.
This hands-on model not only improves immediate access to dental care but also helps address Tanzania's national shortage of oral health professionals. Sustainability is ensured through the integration of outreach into dental curricula and the creation of school-based oral health clubs. By building capacity among both students and children, the initiative fosters a self-sustaining culture of prevention and community responsibility.
A Broader Push for Sustainable Oral Health Development
The 2025 WDDF projects collectively highlight how integrating oral health with existing social and healthcare infrastructures can deliver measurable, scalable outcomes. Each initiative builds local ownership, strengthens health literacy, and aligns with the World Health Organization's goal of universal health coverage that includes oral care.
These examples demonstrate the increasing focus on community-based innovation across Africa's dental sector. By combining prevention, education, and capacity-building, the WDDF's impact extends far beyond individual treatments-laying the foundation for healthier generations.
FDI's Enduring Commitment to Global Oral Health Equity
FDI commended the organizations leading these 2025 initiatives, affirming that the WDDF's support will help sustain their long-term vision for accessible, integrated, and equitable oral health care. Their collective work illustrates how targeted investments in grassroots innovation can strengthen national health systems, elevate workforce training, and transform lives through better oral health outcomes.
To learn more about the World Dental Development Fund and supported initiatives, visit fdiworlddental.org.