(By Dr. Joseph D. Lim and Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim)
IN NOVEMBER 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) convened the first-ever Global oral health meeting in Bangkok, Thailand.
It was part of the preparatory process for the 4th United Nations High-level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases in September this year.
The landmark event aimed to accelerate and scale up the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases, with a particular emphasis on oral diseases, to achieve universal health coverage for all.
A significant outcome of the meeting was the adoption of the Bangkok Declaration: “No Health Without Oral Health”. The Declaration advocates for elevating oral diseases as a global public health priority.
Acknowledging “with great concern” that oral diseases affect 3.5 billion people globally, the Bangkok Declaration highlighted the critical need to address oral diseases and conditions as part of the broader burden of noncommunicable diseases.
It expressed concern about the continued prevalence of unmet oral health needs and the impacts of oral diseases on health systems and societies, with a disproportionate burden on those living in vulnerable, remote, refugee, emergency, and marginalized situations.
The Bangkok Declaration reaffirmed the consensus of WHO member states for strengthening oral health and public health policy and programs, health systems and service delivery in the coming years. It also stressed the commitment to take bold action to ensure the affordability of essential oral health care.
The promotion of oral health and the prevention and management of oral diseases must be treated with urgency in recognition of their significant impact on public health. Oral diseases are part of public health measures that can reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes as well as protect people from their major risk factors such as tobacco use, the harmful use of alcohol, physical inactivity, air pollution, and unhealthy diets including high sugars intake.
All these initiatives are designed to move towards Universal Health Coverage for Oral Health by 2030, including the alignment of national oral health research priorities with public health goals.
The Bangkok Declaration called on WHO member nations to develop and implement national oral health roadmaps tailored to their specific contexts, prioritizing oral health in national health policies and strategies.
It also recognizes the fact that the private sector has a significant role in expanding equitable access to affordable and quality oral health products, dental medicines and preparations.
The Bangkok Declaration also encourages member states and the WHO to consider highlighting the role of sugars as a major component of unhealthy food, which not only increases the incidence and prevalence of dental caries but also exacerbate, together with other risk factors like tobacco and alcohol use, the burden of other non-communicable diseases.
By 2030, eight of 10 people around the world should be entitled to essential oral healthcare services as part of Universal Health Care.
By then, the combined global prevalence of the main oral diseases and conditions over the life course should have been reduced by 10 percent.
By 2030, half of all countries should be implementing measures aiming to reduce sugars intake.
The ambitious and lofty goals are in alignment with the Global Oral Health Action Plan 2023-2030.
A part of these goals is to incorporate planning for the delivery of essential oral health care services into the national health workforce, including opportunities to expand the capacity of health workers to provide preventive and community-based care.
As well, essential oral health care services should increase the availability and affordability of essential, quality dental medicines and preparations.
National oral health targets should be aligned with the global targets of the WHO Global Oral Health Action Plan. For example, the use of mercury in dental amalgam should be phased down, or phased out where feasible. Dental amalgam is the dental filling material used to fill cavities caused by tooth decay.
Mercury-free and eco-friendly oral health care products are part of overall efforts to promote environment-friendly health care such as minimizing the use of single-use plastics and non-biodegradable materials, managing waste responsibly, using natural resources efficiently, and reducing carbon emissions.
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Dr. Joseph D. Lim, Ed. D., is the former Associate Dean of the College of Dentistry, University of the East; former Dean, College of Dentistry, National University; Past President and Honorary Fellow of the Asian Oral Implant Academy; Honorary Fellow of the Japan College of Oral Implantologists; Honorary Life Member of the Thai Association of Dental Implantology; and Founding Chairman of the Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail jdlim2008@gmail.com or text 0917-8591515.
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Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim, BS-MMG, DDM, MSc-OI, graduated Doctor of Dental Medicine, University of the Philippines, College of Dentistry, Manila, 2011; Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management, De la Salle University, Manila, 2002; and Master of Science (MSc.) in Oral Implantology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany, 2019. He is an Associate Professor; Fellow, International Congress of Oral Implantologists; and Fellow, Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail limdentalcenter@gmail.com/PN
