[Essential indicators of orodental health in Africa. Applicability in Ivory Coast].
INTEREST OF THE PROBLEM: The objective of this study is to highlight the gaps from a consideration of the essential indicators in the national system of sanitary information of Ivory Coast. Modalities of their applicability in the surveillance of the oral health are also discussed.
The use of the essential indicators answers the necessity of setting up a system of surveillance of the common factors of risk based on standardized information which will allow comparisons between countries. However, the applicability of these indicators is not enough known and the quantitative measure to test their reliability and their validity was not realized yet to allow their easy consideration in global Infobase.


METHODS
This study is based on the documentary analysis of the catalogue on selection of the essential indicators, and the database of the national program of oral health.


RESULTS
Twenty-two essential indicators are applicable in the national information system. In particular, ten indicators are easily applicable without technical difficulties and twelve are averagely applicable.


CONCLUSIONS
The essential indicators are pertinent for the surveillance of the oral health in Côte d'Ivoire. However, future researches are necessary to test their validity in the national information system. Also, similar pilot studies could be realized in the other African contexts to establish an operational and standardized frame to collect relevant and valid information.
Yavo Tchere
M L
ML
Ministère de la santé, Côte d'Ivoire.
N'Diaye
C
C
Bourgeois
D
D
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D007560:Cote d'Ivoire; D019992:Databases as Topic; D006267:Health Education, Dental; D006293:Health Promotion; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D009909:Oral Health; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011322:Primary Prevention; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D014099:Toothbrushing