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Background and Objectives: Polishing of dental prosthesis prepared in dental laboratories can transmit different infectious agents. These are potential sources of cross - contamination for dental laboratory technicians, dentists and for patients. Non-sterilisable appliances in the dental clinic and laboratory have a health hazard to members of the dental team. The objective of this study was to evaluate the microbial contamination of polishing materials, newly polished acrylic denture and equipment used during the construction of acrylic dentures in dental laboratories. Methodology: Five samples of pumice powder, pumice slurry, rag wheel and sterile gauze swab rubbed on newly polished acrylic dentures were collected from four randomly selected dental laboratories in sterile containers. The specimens were transferred to microbiology laboratory for isolation and identification of bacterial and fungal microorganisms. Results: All specimens collected were contaminated either by bacteria or fungi and both pumice powder and rag wheel specimens were contaminated by 80% of gram positive bacilli and 40% of fungus Aspergillus species. In pumice slurry 100% Pseudomonas and 60% Aspergillus species were identified. The results of this study showed considerable bacterial and fungal contamination particularly in pumice slurry may be due to the use of non-sterile water to mix the pumice powder, Gram-positive bacilli and fungi were present in the samples of pumice powder, rag wheel and polished dentures. Conclusions: Improved sterile techniques in handling dental prosthesis can substantially reduce cross contamination that may occur from the pumice and rag wheel, thereby diminishing the patient's exposure to potentially pathogenic bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: One-in-every 5 children globally remains deprived of lifesaving vaccines. We developed and implemented the Adolescent Health and Leadership Program (AHLP) among school girls from grades 8-10 (Kiran Sitaras (KSs); Shining Stars) to provide them with soft skills and community mobilization skills and equipping them to become community advocates for immunization. We evaluated the feasibility of KS community mobilization through validating KSs' ability to accurately identify and link never- and under-immunized children with immunization services. Methods: We implemented a mixed-methods study in six public schools located in peri-urban areas of Karachi, Pakistan. After the development and roll-out of AHLP in schools, KSs conducted door-to-door visits in their neighborhoods to identify neverand under-immunized children. This was followed by verification visits by field staff to establish accuracy and immunization camps to vaccinate never- and under-immunized children identified by KSs. Results: From January 28 to February 22, 2020, 591 KSs visited 10,330 households, screened 3,295 under-2 children and identified 7.5% (247/3,295) never- and 27.0% (889/3,295) underimmunized children, with an accuracy of 90.4% and 49.6%, respectively. In January 2021, 291 never- and under-immunized children were invited to immunization camps, of which 28.9% (84/291) received vaccinations, while 57.0% (166/291) did not respond to the invite and 14.1% (41/291) were deemed ineligible (illness, overage, etc.). Conclusions: We demonstrated the feasibility of empowering adolescent girls to boost immunization uptake in LMIC settings. Engaging young women from within the community provides an organic and sustainable solution for promoting immunization coverage and equity today and ensuring they will continue to champion the cause in their capacity as tomorrow's mothers. We are actively scaling-up our solution across the country to create a force of 100,000+ KSs to magnify our efforts. Key messages: The Kiran Sitara initiative, via its community-centered approach, leverages the force of adolescent school girls to boost demand and referrals for immunization in unreached geographical pockets. The Kiran Sitara initiative utilizes the power of youth engagement to identify never- and under-immunized children, and subsequently increase vaccine-uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]