Integrated care for children and young people with special health and care needs: a systematic review.

Context: There is a dearth of high-quality evidence on integrated, coordinated and cost-effective care for children with special health and care needs (CSHCN).

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of integrated/coordinated care models for CSHCN.

Data Sources: Embase, Ovid Medline(R), HMIC Health Management Information Consortium, Maternity & Infant Care Database (MIDIRS), PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, Social Policy and Practice, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Global Health and PubMed.

Caries clusters at lesion-severity thresholds: A Sierra Leone case study.

Objectives: Despite being almost entirely preventable, globally, dental caries is extremely prevalent. Moreover, dental caries will continue to present an even larger challenge for lower income countries, particularly those in the African context, as they transition to a more Western diet. Hence, epidemiological data providing insight into disease patterns and trends is critical to inform public health action.

Unmet need in Sierra Leone: a national oral health survey of schoolchildren.

Objective: Sierra Leone (SL), in West Africa, with a population of over 7.5 million people has suffered the effects of a civil war previously, and more recently Ebola & Covid-19. Dental care is very limited, mostly in the capital Freetown and the private sector.

Needs-led human resource planning for Sierra Leone in support of oral health.

Background: In Sierra Leone (SL), a low-income country in West Africa, dental care is very limited, largely private, and with services focused in the capital Freetown. There is no formal dental education. Ten dentists supported by a similar number of dental care professionals (DCPs) serve a population of over 7.

Fortitude and resilience in service of the population: a case study of dental professionals striving for health in Sierra Leone.

Objective: Sierra Leone (SL), with a population of over 7 million people, has a critical health workforce shortage. This research explores the views of key players on population oral health needs and demands, the challenges of oral and dental care delivery, and professional careers in dentistry, in order to inform future capacity building.

Materials And Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of key players in dentistry and healthcare, both in-country and externally.