AFRICA – The World Health Organisation (WHO), has reported that approximately 44 percent of the population in Africa suffers from oral diseases and that Africa’s investment in treatment costs is extremely low.
In addition, the continent currently has the highest global surge in oral diseases over the last three decades.
“Around 44 percent of the population in the African region suffer from oral diseases, and while the region has experienced the steepest rise globally in oral diseases over the last three decades, spending on treatment costs remains extremely low,” it said.
“Oral health remains a low priority in many African countries, leading to inadequate financial and technical investment, which in turn undermines prevention and care services as well as oral health promotion.
“Around 70 percent of sub-Saharan Africa countries spent less than US$ 1 per person per year on treatment costs for oral health care in 2019, the latest year for which data is available.”
Half of the countries in the region do not have oral health policy documents. In addition, the region’s oral health workforce is chronically lacking, with a ratio of just 3.3 dentists per 100,000 people recorded between 2014 and 2019, approximately one-tenth of the global ratio.
Such shortcomings have only been further compounded by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A reference for policy makers
The African regional summary of the WHO global oral health status report serves as a reference for policymakers and a wide range of stakeholders.
In addition, it guides the advocacy process toward better prioritization of oral health in the region to tackle this alarming oral health situation.
The African region has experienced an increase of more than 257 million in oral disease cases over the last 30 years, affecting people from early life to old age.
The growing burden of oral diseases such as dental caries, gum diseases, and tooth loss disproportionately impact marginalised groups, reflecting wider health access inequalities.
An example is the persisting prevalence of noma, a disease that occurs in contexts of extreme poverty and is primarily found in sub-Saharan Africa. Noma destroys the mouth and face of mostly young children. If left untreated, it is fatal in 90 percent of cases.
Most oral health diseases can be prevented without medical assistance – through a healthy lifestyle, a well-balanced diet, and good oral hygiene.
In addition to oral diseases’ significant health burden, they also have a detrimental social and economic impact, restricting individuals’ participation in society and leading to productivity loss and learning disruptions among school children.
Universal health coverage of oral health services
In a bid to reinforce oral health promotion, oral disease prevention, and control in Africa, WHO Member States adopted a historic resolution in 2021 that set out a bold vision for universal health coverage of oral health services by 2030.
WHO has since developed a comprehensive Global Strategy on Oral Health, which was adopted by countries at the 2022 World Health Assembly (WHA).
In collaboration with different partners, the Organisation has supported countries technically and financially in implementing regional and global oral health strategies, as well as building health worker capacity and strengthening integrated surveillance.
WHO has also supported 11 priority countries in developing, implementing, and monitoring an integrated national noma control programme, financially supported by the German NGO, Hilfsaktion Noma e.V. Additionally, more than 3600 primary care workers have been registered for a WHO online training course on Noma since July 2022.
For all the latest healthcare industry news from Africa and the World, subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, and YouTube Channel, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, and like us on Facebook.
