I have been involved with dentistry and oral health issues in Malawi since my first visit to the country in 2017. Through The MalDent Project, with funding from the Scottish Government, World Bank and the Borrow Foundation, it has been a great privilege to work with colleagues at KUHeS, the Ministry of Health, WHO and international partners to begin developing the oral health agenda, workforce, and infrastructure in Malawi.

As with any endeavour in life, it is the people involved who make the difference between success and failure, so Malawi’s dental workforce needs to be nurtured and supported. The Malawi Odontological Society aims to provide some of that support by providing accessible continuing postgraduate education and developing a sense of camaraderie between all members of the dental team through opportunities for networking and fellowship. I am honoured to have been asked to become Patron of this exciting new society and I will do all I can to support it as it becomes established.