2024-10-04 00:50:37
The Junaeb Oral Health Program is present in 2,650 educational establishments in 241 communes, and in 2023 it benefited more than 155 thousand schoolchildren.
Within the framework of National Dentistry Day, the National School Aid and Scholarship Board (Junaeb) highlighted the contribution of its Oral Health Program (PSO), which It is developed free of charge in the dental modules, fixed and mobile, distributed in the 16 regions of the countrycovering 241 communes and 2,650 educational establishments.
The program has expanded its coverage, going from 34,472 students served in 2020 to 155,249 in 2023. On the other hand, in 2024 the program will execute a budget of more than 11 billion pesos allocated to care, check-ups, x-rays and emergencies.
The objective of the PSO is improve the oral health of Pre-Basic and Basic Education students with high socioeconomic vulnerabilitythrough a Comprehensive Care Model that emphasizes preventive, promotional and educational activities, guaranteeing that the beneficiary population maintains adequate control of their oral health.
“In these 60 years of Junaeb, the Oral Health Program has been very important for girls and boys nationwide, for the benefits both in oral health and in the family economy due to the high costs involved in the treatments. This program extends to special schools and the School Integration Program (PIE), which allows greater access to dental care,” said the national director of Junaeb, Camila Rubio Araya.
Between 2021 and 2023, specific efficiency indicators have shown very positive results for students benefiting from the PSO. The “C component of the COPD index” (average number of decayed, missing and filled permanent teeth) has remained at 99% with a value of zero, reflecting high control of dental health. In addition, the “IHO Variation”, which measures the average oral hygiene level between entry and exit from the program, has improved significantly, dropping from 1 in 2021 to 0.14 in 2023. Likewise, The “percentage of students served with comprehensive discharges” has increased from 90% in 2021 to 100% in 2023, evidencing the positive impact of the program on the oral health of schoolchildren.
With the commitment to guarantee education as a social right, overcoming barriers to access and permanence in the educational system, especially for the most vulnerable sectors, Junaeb implemented the Oral Health Program (PSO) in 1991. However, the history of this program dates back to long before the creation of the institution.
Oral health in public schools
A key role was played by Dr. Eloísa Díaz who, in 1898, as Medical Inspector of Public Schools, denounced that The poor health of girls in poverty caused school absenteeism, and promoted the creation of dental medical services in schools..
Along the same lines, since its creation in 1964, Junaeb has had as one of its focuses taking care of the health of students as a way of safeguarding their attendance at classes and their academic performance.
Following the tradition established by Dr. Díaz, Dental clinics were implemented for basic and intermediate levels, which operated in agreement with the National Health Service (SNS).which provided supplies and instruments, in addition to carrying out technical supervision. By 1970, there were already 112 dental clinics in operation.
During the 1980s, much of the institutional programs, including dental clinics, disappeared. However, in 1991, with the return to democracy, various programs were reactivated, including the historic Oral Health Program (PSO), with the aim of contributing to equal opportunities. In that period, 37 dental modules were implemented in 35 communities in the country.
The present of the Oral Health Program: its beneficiaries
The Oral Health Program is aimed at students from Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 8, enrolled in municipal educational establishments.subsidized individuals or Local Education Services (SLEP) that are attached to the PSO through an agreement.
Regarding prioritization, this is carried out based on the average of the School Vulnerability Index (IVE-Sinae), the average of oral damage, the total enrollment in Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten and 1st Grade in those schools, as well as the budgetary availability and human and physical resources of the Dental Module.
The program does not distinguish the pension system from students and includes foreign students and beneficiaries of the Program for Reparation and Comprehensive Care in Health and Human Rights (PRAIS). The only exception is children between 6 years and 6 years, 11 months and 29 days, who already have the Explicit Health Guarantee (GES) of Comprehensive Dental Health from the Ministry of Health (Minsal). Once they enter the program, students remain in it throughout their pre-basic and basic education..
The future: From municipal agreements to Local Education Services (SLEP)
Today, one of the great challenges is to guarantee the continuity of the Dental Services Program (PSO), with the transfer of municipal schools to Local Education Services. In this context, the national director of Junaeb The signing of the tripartite agreement, held on September 13 at the Santa Adela School, commune of Cerrillos, stood out.. Mayor Lorena Facuse and the director of SLEP Santa Corina, Ignacio Cáceres, participated in the event, agreeing to maintain and extend dental care to all public establishments in the commune.
For the municipal leader of Cerrillos, “The important thing is not who manages, but that we all work collaboratively to support early childhood. As mayor, I presented to the Municipal Council the proposal to generate a collaboration agreement with SLEP Santa Corina, which will allow us to continue providing transportation service for our students to their establishments. This proposal was approved by the Municipal Council unanimously. We are the first of the three communes that are part of the Local Service to generate an agreement of this type“.
For his part, the director of SLEP Santa Corina highlighted that the Junaeb Dental Services Program is essential for the well-being of the girls and boys of the commune. “In that sense, we highly value that the mayor and her council have unanimously approved, and the signing of this agreement that ensures its continuity in 2025 will allow it to increase its coverage. When the State assumes its leading role in public education, it does so with a systemic view, guaranteeing the well-being of girls, boys and young people.“, he concluded.
