23
Volume2 Issue1
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N
ews and
E
vents
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LCol TeodoraRussumentorsherAfghanmilitary
andciviliancolleagues inKabul.
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Maj SandeepDhesi (l.) leadsanOMFS team in the
operating room inKandahar, assistedbyMaj Frederick
Ferron (r.)whileCol KevinGoheen (c.) lookson.
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TheCDAandAfghanDental Associationdelegations
at the2013FDI Congress. (l. to r.):Dr.GaryMacDonald,
Col JamesTaylor,Dr. PeterDoig,Dr. FarzanaNawabi,
Col Abdul Latif Sultani,Dr.HasamuddinAlamyar,
MajAshleyMark.
OperationATTENTION, 2011–13
OperationATTENTIONwasCanada’scapacitybuilding
response to theNATOTrainingMission inAfghanistan,which
delivered trainingandprofessional development support to
theAfghanNational SecurityForces (ANSF). At that time, the
ANSFDental Corps suffered fromdiminishedcapabilities in the
realmsof training, educationandpatient care.
Over the threeyearsof Canada’sparticipation in theNATO
mission, theRCDCDental AdvisoryTeamsmetmany
challenges andcontributed to significant improvements in
Afghanmilitarydentistry.With support fromHealthCanada,
RCDCdental advisory teams adaptedandoversaw the
implementationof amid-level provider programdesigned to
increase theoral healthcarecapacitywithin theANSFDental
Corps.
TheRCDCalso facilitated the relationshipbetweenCDA
and thenewly formedAfghanDental Association. CDA staff
workedwithRCDCpersonnel on theground tohelp that
Associationdevelop itspreliminaryconstitution, leading to
its approval and formal recognitionby theAfghanMinistry
of Justice. TheCDA then facilitateda relationshipbetween
theAfghanDental Associationand thedental publishingand
supply industries, tohelp sustainAfghandentistry through
theprovisionof current textbooks anddentalmaterials.
Ina furthermeasureof support, CDA sponsored theAfghan
Dental Association’smembership in theFDIWorldDental
Federationand funded itsparticipation in the2013FDI
Congressheld in Istanbul, Turkey. Themeetingwas attended
byDrs. FarzanaNawabi andHasamuddinAlamyar—the
president andvice-president of thenewAssociation. TheFDI
General AssemblyapprovedAfghanistan’smembershipand
welcomed it into theglobal dental familyas amember of
theFDIWorldDental Parliament. Concurrently, theAfghan
National ArmyChief ofDental Services, Colonel Abdul Latif
Sultani,was sponsoredbyNATO toattend the2013FDI
meetingalongwith theAfghandelegation, andparticipated
in theFDI’smilitary sectionmeeting.
a
CDA isplayingacentralrole incommemoratingthe100thanniversary
oftheRCDC inMay2015,reflectingCDA’srole inestablishingamilitary
dentalservice inCanadaandtheclosepartnershipbetweenCDAand
RCDCsincethattime.
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