Action plan for oral health in South-East Asia 2022–2030 (2025)

Overview

The growing global momentum for addressing the public health challenges of oral diseases and conditions led to the adoption of a World Health Assembly resolution on oral health (WHA74/A74/R5) and the development of the Global strategy on oral health 2022–2030 (WHA75/A75.10 Add1). In a similar spirit, in 2021 the Seventy-fourth Session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for South-East Asia considered the gaps in progress on oral health in the region and requested the development of a regional action plan for oral health in South-East Asia 2022–2030 (SEA/RC74/6 Rev. 1). The action plan was developed in close consultation with Member States, technical focal points for noncommunicable diseases and oral health, and experts from and beyond the Region, and was approved to be implemented by the Seventy-fifth Regional Committee in 2022 (SEA/ RC75/8).

The WHO considers oral health to include the state of the mouth and teeth, and of orofacial structures that enable individuals to perform essential functions such as eating, breathing and speaking, and to encompass psychosocial dimensions, such as self-confidence, wellbeing and the ability to socialize and work without pain, discomfort and embarrassment. Oral health varies over the life course from early life to old age, is integral to general health and supports individuals in participating in society and achieving their potential. Poor oral health significantly impacts individuals, families, communities, populations, health systems, economies and societies at large.

Oral diseases are among the most common noncommunicable diseases in the South-East Asia Region. The disease burden shows strong inequalities, with higher prevalence and severity in poor and disadvantaged populations, who generally have lower access to prevention, care and rehabilitation. More than 900 million cases of untreated dental caries, severe periodontal diseases and edentulism were estimated in the region in 2019. The highest burden stems from untreated caries of deciduous teeth (estimated prevalence of 43.8% and 135 million estimated cases); untreated caries of permanent teeth (estimated prevalence 28.7%/526 million estimated cases); severe periodontal disease (estimated prevalence 20.8%/307 million estimated cases) and edentulism (estimated prevalence 4.1%/52.7 million estimated cases). Moreover, the region has the highest oral cancer incidence and mortality rates among all WHO regions. Other diseases and conditions, such as orofacial clefts, dental trauma, diseases of the oral mucosa and oral manifestations of systemic diseases, add to the overall burden.

The Action plan for oral health in South-East Asia 2022–2030 sets out a vision for oral health in the region, asking for “universal coverage for oral health for all people of the South-East Asia Region by 2030, empowering them to enjoy the highest attainable state of oral health and enabling them to live healthy and productive lives”. The goal of the action plan is to guide and support Member States and partners to accelerate the implementation of appropriate and impactful actions to promote oral health in the South-East Asia Region. To underpin vision and goal, the plan also defines two regional targets to track progress in oral health by 2030:

  • Target 1: a 33.3% relative reduction of premature mortality from oral cancer by 2030; and
  • Target 2: a 25% relative reduction of prevalence of untreated dental caries of permanent teeth by 2030.

Action by Member States, international partners, civil society and private-sector stakeholders should be grounded in a set of guiding principles, which comprise a public health approach, an equity, lifecourse and people-centred approach, the integration of oral health with primary health care and NCDs, and strong leadership, collaboration and accountability.

The plan proposes six strategic action areas:

  1. Oral health governance, leadership and resources;
  2. Oral health promotion and oral disease prevention, life-course disease priorities and healthy settings;
  3. Oral health workforce for universal coverage for oral health;
  4. Essential oral health care and universal coverage for oral health;
  5. Surveillance, monitoring and evaluation; and
  6. Oral health research, digital innovation and emerging issues.

Each of these strategic action areas has three core actions, relevant to all countries across the region, which contribute to progress towards universal health coverage for oral health. Additional actions to further strengthen prevention, control and management of oral diseases and conditions are provided. Member States may choose from these and adapt them to their context, depending on available resources and capacities.

The action plan also includes guidance related to service components and interventions to address the most common oral diseases, and guidance on core elements of a national oral health programme.

Monitoring the implementation and tracking progress are important features of the action plan, which will be aligned to the Global oral health action plan (2023–2030) and monitoring framework, scheduled for adoption by the World Health Assembly in 2023.

National governments, line ministries and a wide range of stakeholders, including subnational administrations, health regulatory bodies, professional associations, education and training institutions, research entities, civil society organizations, the media, development partners, individuals, families and communities have important roles in promoting oral health and in ensuring tangible action. Roles and responsibilities include leading, managing, supporting, financing, promoting, advocating and communicating aspects related to oral health and improving oral health status. Specific roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders in implementing the Action plan for oral health in the South-East Asia Region 2022–2030 are indicated in section 5.

The WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia and country offices will provide leadership and coordination to promote and monitor the Action plan for oral health in South-East Asia 2022–2030. WHO will also provide technical support, in partnership with WHO collaborating centres and other partners to strengthen national responses to the oral disease burden. Additional technical documents and guidance will be developed to support national implementation, aligned with the forthcoming Global oral health action plan (2023–2030) and related guidance. WHO will also foster exchange and knowledge transfer among Member States and beyond to secure progress towards universal health coverage for oral health by 2030.

Action plan for oral health in South-East Asia 2022–2030 (2025)
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