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2
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The rapidly changing global disease pattern is closely linked to changing lifestyles, including diets rich in sugars, widespread tobacco use and increased prevalence of other unhealthy diets. Such lifestyle factors significantly impact on oral health. In addition, oral diseases have high prevalence and incidence in all countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Thus these diseases cannot but qualify as major public health problems.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Despite great achievements in oral health in the Region, problems still remain in many communities. Like all diseases, they affect primarily the disadvantaged and socially marginalized populations, causing severe pain and suffering, impairing function and impacting on quality of life. The bilateral association between oral and general health is proven by evidence. Taking severe periodontal disease as an example, we find that it is associated with diabetes. The strong correlation between several oral diseases and noncommunicable chronic diseases is primarily a result of the common risk factors. Many general disease conditions increase the risk of oral disease which, in turn, is a risk factor for a number of general health conditions.
Nevertheless, this wider meaning of oral health does not diminish the relevance of the two globally leading oral afflictions – dental caries and periodontal diseases. In most countries of the Region, dental caries still pose a major oral health problem, affecting 60%–
90% of schoolchildren and the vast majority of adults. Most children have signs of gingivitis and, among adults, the initial stages of periodontal disease are prevalent. Severe periodontitis, which may result in tooth loss, is found in 5%–15% of most populations. Juvenile or early- onset aggressive periodontitis affects about 2% of youth.
Concomitantly, traditional treatment of oral diseases is extremely costly, particularly in low- and middle-income countries; and in many parts of the Region, access to oral health services is limited. Oral disease is the fourth most expensive disease to treat in most industrialized countries. In many low-income countries, if treatment was available, the costs of dental caries alone in children would exceed the total health care budget for children.
Knowledge and experience tell us that such diseases can be effectively prevented and controlled through a combination of community, professional and individual action.
3
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Against this backdrop, WHO has been a strong advocate of including oral health in the wider health promotion and disease prevention efforts. Despite its importance, oral health promotion has not been receiving the attention it deserves in terms of financial resources, as well as declaring it as a public health priority. Reports reveal that oral health promotion programmes in countries are showing signs of progress. However, they also reveal the need for a more strategic perspective.
WHO’s World Oral Health Report, published in 2003, strongly recommends developing a strategic policy framework putting forward eleven action areas for Member States to adopt.
Four strategic directions provide the broad framework for focusing WHO’s technical work in oral health, namely: reducing the burden of oral disease and disability, especially in poor and marginalized populations; promoting healthy lifestyles and reducing risk factors to oral health that arise from environmental, economic, social and behavioural causes; developing oral health systems that equitably improve oral health outcomes, respond to people’s legitimate demands, and are financially fair; and framing policies in oral health, based on integration of oral health into national and community health programmes and promotion of oral health as an effective dimension for development policy of society.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This meeting is an opportunity to share experiences and collectively agree on a common vision and future actions for promoting oral health. I hope that out of this distinguished meeting will come a technical working group from among the national programme mangers that will provide technical backstopping to countries wherever support is needed. The task may not be easy but it is possible.
Health systems, including oral health systems, have roles to play and responsibilities to assume. In many countries in the Region, the role of the state is changing rapidly, and the private sector and civil society are emerging as important players. Systems are becoming more complex and people’s expectations of health care are rising dramatically. I do not think we can fail them.
I wish you a very productive meeting and assure you that WHO will continue to support initiatives such as this.
