A shared goal for better health brought 57 Afghan women together for a dental health education session at Monash Health Community Dandenong in June.
The session was a collaborative effort between Monash Health’s Community Engagement and Dental Services teams, and the Afghan Women’s Organisation Victoria (AWOV).
Together, they created a culturally safe space for women recently settled in Australia to learn about oral health and how to access local services confidently.
Collaboration creating impact
The idea for the event emerged during a focus group with AWOV, where the Community Engagement team identified that although many of the women had previously accessed services at the Monash Health Refugee Health and Wellbeing site in Dandenong, they were not as familiar with Monash Health’s dental services.
Participants watched videos and presentations in their own languages, with translation support provided throughout.
Monash Health’s Dental Outreach team played a key role by offering multilingual support and conducting dental health checks. Each woman received a showbag with dental hygiene essentials and information to take home.
The women were highly engaged, showing how important it is to provide tailored health education in people’s first language.
‘Delivering dental health education in a culturally appropriate and supportive environment is key to building trust,’ said Julie Papaxanthou, Operations Manager of Dental Services.
‘We’re breaking down barriers and empowering people to access the care and information they need.’
She praised her team’s efforts.
‘Their compassion, professionalism and commitment truly made a difference.’
A memorable event
‘It was an absolute pleasure to be part of [the] session,’ said Shahnaz Sultani, Community Liaison Officer at AWOV.
‘The energy in the room, the thoughtful planning, and the incredible turnout made it such a memorable event.’
‘Seeing 57 women attend was inspiring, and it speaks volumes about the trust and connection we have built within the community and the need for this program.’
Monash Health is now planning similar events for other community groups.
These sessions will help more people understand and use dental services with confidence.