All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights states the very first article in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 1 sets equality as the all-embracing overarching theme of the Declaration, one that has been the basis for elaborating rights for many – including minorities, indigenous people and people with disabilities.

The WHO Constitution (1946) envisages “…the highest attainable standard of health as a fundamental right of every human being.”

and we take this significant day -Human Rights Day observed every year on 10 December when United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as an opportunity to share that at KCDS, we strive to translate words into action.

When we refer to under served population, there is a notion and a presumption that it refers to economically backward sections of population. However, there are many other sections of population that come under the umbrella term of minority groups, that are under served.

One such minority group is the transgender population.

The attitude towards transgenders in Indian society is prejudiced and biased in general.Accessing health care, employment, or education becomes almost impossible for them. In India, the accessibility to medical and dental facilities for these groups is nearly non-existent. There is a high level of stigma and discrimination towards this group due to the adverse attitude and lack of knowledge among society in general as well as among health-care providers.

In an attempt to bridge this gap, Dr Evan Rebello , 3rd year post graduate student, under the aegis of the Dept of Public Health Dentistry, undertook an effort to provide Oral Health Screening & Treatment to this largely ignored group in North Bangalore. We hope to continue to identify different marginalized sections of population and provide them with access to oral health care on par with all sections of population.

As Eleanor Roosevelt says “Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home — so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world.”