Evaluation of the child oral health promotion ‘MaliMali’ Programme based on schools in the Kingdom of Tonga

Introduction The South Pacific Medical Team (SPMT) has supported oral health care for Tongan juveniles since 1998. This voluntary activity, named the MaliMali (‘smile’ in Tongan) Programme, is evaluated in detail in this paper. Methods This evaluation was guided by the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance (RE‐AIM) framework. The objectives were to explore: (i) whether the programme was accessible to Tongan schoolchildren (Reach); (ii) the impact of the programme on decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) scores and toothbrushing habits (Effectiveness); (iii) factors that affected the adoption of the programme (Adoption); (iv) whether implementation was consistent with the programme model (Implementation); and (v) the long‐term sustainability of the programme (Maintenance). Results The MaliMali Programme has grown into an international project, has spread countrywide as a uniform health promotion and is reaching children in need. Following implementation of this programme, the oral health of Tongan juveniles has improved, with a decrease in the mean DMFT index and an increase in toothbrushing. To provide training that will allow Tongans to assume responsibility for the MaliMali Programme in the future, dental health education literature was prepared and workshops on oral hygiene and the MaliMali Programme were held frequently. At present, the programme is predominantly managed by Tongan staff, rather than by Japanese staff. Conclusions This evaluation found the MaliMali Programme to be feasible and acceptable to children and schools in the Kingdom of Tonga. The programme promotes oral health and provides accessible and improved oral health care in the school setting, consistent with the oral health‐promoting school framework.