OSAP provides new resource to aid tsunami-torn nations

OSAP, the Organization for Safety & Asepsis Procedures, grieves with all those affected by the tsunami tragedy in Asia and East Africa. The scope of this disaster will only increase with the disease threat now facing those who survived.

Dental public health practitioners will undoubtedly be joining their medical colleagues to help mitigate the devastation. In response to the humanitarian efforts now being planned, OSAP is offering at no cost its new Guide for Safety and Infection Control for Oral Healthcare Missions at www.OSAP.org.

The Guide is an instructional training tool for humanitarian dental care workers traveling to remote areas without the benefit of modern conveniences like electricity and safe water. Its content addressing safe delivery of healthcare also can be applied to medical missions for disaster relief. Development was supported in part by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Guide adresses advance preparation, team health and safety, infection control and waste management and disposal in developing and disaster-torn countries. It includes checklists and forms to assist mission planning and implementation activities.

Dental workers can download the Guide free at www.OSAP.org or order a bound copy that comes with a CD-ROM of the checklists and forms in a printable format. OSAP corporate members and other interested parties also can assist by donating supplies, instructional materials and advice in support of these relief missions. A site for companies with infection control and safety involvement can be found at www.OSAP.org/aosap/members/corpmems.htm.

OSAP is the Organization for Safety & Asepsis Procedures. Founded in 1984, the non-profit association is dentistry's premier resource for infection control and safety information. Through its publications, courses, website, and worldwide collaborations, OSAP and the tax-exempt OSAP Foundation support education, research, service, and policy development to promote safety and the control of infectious diseases in dental healthcare settings worldwide. For more information, visit www.OSAP.org or contact the international office at U.S. (410) 571-0003, (800) 298-6727, or [email protected].