Prevention Takes Center Stage
A monumental event recently took place —the inaugural World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Oral Health Meeting — in one of the most vibrant cities on earth, Bangkok, Thailand. In late November, I joined more than 300 participants from 110 countries at the meeting, proudly representing the International Federation of Dental Hygienists (IFDH).
The purpose of the Global Oral Health Meeting was to finally bring oral health to the forefront on the worldwide stage. As stated on the event’s website, “The overall goal … is to reaffirm political commitment by member states based on the resolution on oral health in 2021 and to accelerate and scale up national efforts to prevent and control noncommunicable diseases, with a focus on oral diseases to achieve universal health coverage for all by 2030.”1
To emphasize this goal, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, MSc, stated during his video address to attendees, “There is no health without oral health.”
As president of the IFDH, It was an incredible privilege for me to attend. I was also asked to participate in a plenary panel discussion and an evening seminar with colleagues representing several dental educational organizations. As the only dental hygienist speaking at the 3-day program, the enormous responsibility of representing every one of you was not lost on me. As your voice and your advocate, I explained the vital role of dental hygienists in promoting oral and overall health.
While some of the attendees were oral health professionals, many were not. In fact, health ministers from numerous countries were in attendance. And in many countries, the profession of dental hygiene does not exist. Therefore, ensuring that they understood the educational background and skills of dental hygienists was key. This was especially pertinent since the concept of prevention was an overarching theme.
Another focus was the idea of moving away from the dentist-centric model of oral healthcare to one that embraces an innovative oral health workforce. I highlighted that notion by stating during the panel discussion how dental hygiene is the only oral healthcare profession founded on prevention — prevention is at our very core. We need to truly start practicing oral healthcare and not oral disease care.
On the final day of the meeting, representatives of the WHO member states signed the Bangkok Declaration, affirming their commitment to implement the Global Oral Health Action Plan by 2030. As everyone left for their homes across the globe, it was clear that history had been made. It was also obvious that a skilled workforce, with dental hygienists at the forefront, is needed to reach the goals of the action plan. And while Tedros’ words, “There is no health without oral health” resonated, I couldn’t help but add my own transcript to his mantra: And there is no oral health without skilled, safe and effective care.
Reference
- World Health Organization. WHO Global Oral Health Meeting: Universal Health Coverage for Oral Health by 2030. Available at https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2024/11/26/default-calendar/who-global-oral-health-meeting–universal-health-coverage-for-oral-health-by-2030. Accessed December 12, 2024.
From Dimensions of Dental Hygiene. January/February 2025; 23(1):6.