Integrating Oral Health with Non-Communicable Diseases as an Essential Component of General Health: WHO's Strategic Orientation for the African Region.
In the context of the emerging recognition of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), it has never been more timely to explore the World Health Organization (WHO) strategic orientations on oral health in the WHO African region and to raise awareness of a turning point in the search for better oral health for everyone. The global initiative against NCDs provides a unique opportunity for the oral health community to develop innovative policies for better recognition of oral health, as well as to directly contribute to the fight against NCDs and their risk factors. The WHO African region has led the way in developing the first regional oral health strategy for the prevention and control of oral diseases integrated with NCDs. The support of the international oral health community in this endeavor is urgently needed for making a success story of this initiative of integrating oral health into NCDs.
Dr. Benoit Varenne is Regional Adviser on Oral Health, World Health Organization, Diseases Prevention and Control Cluster, NCDs Programme Area, Regional Office for Africa. varenneb@who.int.
Benoit
B
Varenne
D000349:Africa; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000517:prevention & control; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003729:Dental Care; D014943:Global Health; D018166:Health Care Reform; D063005:Health Information Systems; D006285:Health Planning; D006291:Health Policy; D006292:Health Priorities; D006293:Health Promotion; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006304:Health Status; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D007857:Leadership; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D009909:Oral Health; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011634:Public Health; D012307:Risk Factors; D014480:United Nations; D014944:World Health Organization
Africa; global oral health; non-communicable disease; oral health; public health