Oral health in the African region: progress and perspectives of the regional strategy

Abstract

SUMMARYObjectives: According to The World Oral Health Report 2003, oral diseases remain a major public health problem worldwide. However, oral health is seen as a very low priority in the African Region, where extreme poverty means that the limited resources available to the health sector are directed towards life-threatening conditions such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. The mission of the Oral Health Programme at the Regional Office of WHO for Africa is to assist Member States to achieve those goals by means of a Regional Strategy. In fact in September 1998, the WHO Regional Committee for Africa adopted a ten year (1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008) Oral Health Plan for the African Region (AFR/RC48/9) with the aim of fundamentally improving community oral health. Its cornerstone is provision of the technical and managerial resources to efficiently and effectively deliver affordable intervention that matches the oral health needs of the community.Data Sources: This review presents major achievements made since the WHO Regional Strategy was launched in 1998 and priority actions which should be taken to further implement the Regional Strategy.Conclusions: WHO/AFRO recommends more commitment at country level to improve oral health and to reinforce partnerships in order to mobilize and coordinate the human, financial, material and institutional resources needed to implement, monitor and evaluate the Regional Strategy.

Magnitude of dental caries, missing and filled teeth in Malawi: National Oral Health Survey

“…In sub-Saharan Africa, recent studies on the prevalence oral health problems are limited, particularly in adults, and prevention and care is often neglected. The World Health Organization (WHO) Africa Region Office has recommended more commitment for oral health at the country level [ 8 , 9 ]. This study was the first national population-based oral health survey on different age groups in Malawi and east and southern Africa.…”

Assessment of prevalence of dental caries and the associated factors among patients attending dental clinic in Debre Tabor general hospital: a hospital-based cross-sectional study

“…Dental caries is one of the oral health problems which cause the destruction of the hard parts of a tooth by the interaction of bacteria and fermentable carbohydrates [1, 2]. Now a day dental caries on the rise to become major public health problems worldwide, nearly 60–90% of children and about 100% of adults have dental cavities, often leading to pain and discomfort [3].…”

Development of oral health policy in Nigeria: an analysis of the role of context, actors and policy process

“…However, a national study conducted in 2004 showed a high burden of oral diseases with prevalence between 8-15% for various oral conditions [ 21 ]. Other studies in 1990s and 2000s identified four notable trends: i) a socioeconomic and geographic variation with an urban vs. rural disparity in oral disease prevalence and a higher disease burden in the northern part Nigeria [ 21 ] ii) an inequitable distribution of oral health facilities with the majority of facilities situated in the southern part of the country and in urban areas [ 22 ]; iii) uncoordinated national strategy for preventive dental services [ 20 ]; and iv) similar to most African countries, there is a poor health expenditure on oral health in Nigeria as the limited resources are directed towards life-threatening conditions like HIV/AIDS [ 23 ]. In addition, a detailed appraisal of the oral health care system in Nigeria, which analyses strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) clearly identified as a threat, the absence of clear guidelines and strategies to address oral health issues nationally [ 24 ].…”