The World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted low investment, chronic shortage of oral health workers, and lack of political will as major factors contributing to the oral health crisis in Africa.
Dr Yuka Makino, a Technical Officer for Oral Health at the WHO Regional Office for Africa, revealed these findings in an interview with the Africa Health Report (AHR) to mark the 2024 World Oral Health Day.
Dr. Makino emphasised that approximately 44%, accounting for 480 million of the African population is estimated to suffer from oral disease, compared to a global average of 40 to 50 per cent.
She pointed out that the region faces a lack of public health measures to address disease risk factors, limited access to oral health services, and inadequate investment in oral health. Stating, “70% of countries in the African region spent less than $1 per person per year on treatment cost for oral health care, significantly lower than the global average of $50 per person per year.”
Dr Makino highlighted the chronic shortage of oral health workers in the region, with only 0.33 dentists per 10,000 population, which is one of the lowest rates globally. “Half of the WHO member states in the region lack an oral health policy or guidance to address oral disease and promote oral health,” she added.
In response to the crisis, the WHO has developed a global oral health strategy and a plan to guide and support countries in addressing oral health issues.
Makino emphasised the importance of training non-oral health workers, such as primary health care and community health workers, to promote oral health and disease prevention.
The WHO’s 2019 global oral health report estimated that productivity loss due to oral disease, including absence from work and school, amounts to around $5 billion US dollars in Africa.
Dr Makino called for the integration of oral health at the primary healthcare level and as part of universal health coverage to ensure that oral health services are accessible to all without financial hardship.
As Nigeria join the rest of the world to commemorate World Oral Health Day with the theme; ‘A happy mouth is a happy body.’, the findings underscore the urgent need for action to address the oral health crisis in Africa and improve access to essential oral health services for all.
