Supporting dental care for children in Borneo

In Matan in Indonesian Borneo, Dr Norma Sari, a Health In Harmony affiliated dentist, has been treating children of five to seven years old. Often, she is finding that their baby teeth have rotted, leaving them with no teeth until adult teeth develop. 

This problem is down to the popularity of affordable milk-like formula in the region, which provides kids with calories and suppresses the appetite, but also leads to protein deficiency, and in turn, stunted height, as well as containing high sugar volumes that rot the teeth. 

Where children are without teeth, they are relying on formula – leading to a cycle of stunting.

As well as providing dentistry, HIH and partners at Alam Sehat Lestari (ASRI) are working with health specialists to spread the word about improving nutrition, and working alongside communities in the region on sustainable agriculture methods that grow protein-rich vegetables. 

To date, HIH-ASRI’s work has led to 100,774 medical patient visits in Indonesia. Support this work by donating to our ACT NOW: Healthy People. Healthy Planet Campaign.