Developing vs Importing Oral Health Resources: The PHS Experience in the Pacific

Before beginning my presentation, I would like to spend a few moments to recall a friend and colleague of mine who was also a member of this association. My friend was Dr. Gene Sabino from the Sonsorol Islands just north of the Equator in Palau. Gene died this past summer from the ravages of chronic hepatitis, which is very prevalent in Micronesia. I first met Gene in 1976 in Colonia, Yap, where he was a public health dentist with a tremendous social conscience. Shortly thereafter, he moved his family to Minnesota, were he received his master's degree in public health. Upon returning to Micronesia, Gene became the dental chief in the Northern Mariana Islands. In addition, he was to serve for more than a decade as the president of the Micronesian Dental Association. He promoted oral health wherever and with whomever he could. This ranged from promoting a dental nurse retraining program, to conducting a pilot sealant program on preschool children, to organizing oral exams for collecting data. Furthermore, he was a tireless advocate for developing local resources. He also recognized the need to supplement these resources with those from elsewhere. So you see, in many ways, Dr. Gene Sabino made it possible for me to share the following information with you. For this I am grateful.