On World Oral Health Day on 20 March 2024, the World Health Organization is calling for action in countries of the South-East Asia Region and among partners to promote oral health and reduce the burden of oral diseases.

Oral diseases are among the most common noncommunicable diseases worldwide. Despite being largely preventable, there were estimated to be more than 3.5 billion cases of such diseases and other related conditions globally in 2019. It is unfortunate that between 1990 and 2019, estimated case numbers of oral diseases in the world increased by more than 1 billion - a 50% increase.

These diseases impact health systems, economies, and individuals in participating in society and achieving their potential. They cause physical symptoms, functional limitations, and a detrimental impact on emotional, mental and social well-being.

Against this backdrop, WHO Member States at the Seventy-fifth World Health Assembly agreed to adopt a global strategy on oral health, including a framework for tracking progress with targets to be achieved by 2030. The global strategy sets the bold vision of universal health coverage (UHC) for oral health, reaching all individuals and communities by 2030. This enables people to enjoy the highest attainable state of oral health and live healthy and productive lives, including by tackling social and commercial determinants and risk factors of oral diseases and conditions.

Among the six WHO regions, South-East Asia reported the highest number of oral diseases and conditions in 2019 – approximately 900 million cases – reflecting the Region’s large population. Our Region also has the world’s highest oral cancer incidence and mortality, with the estimated age-standardized mortality for males at 8.1 per 100 000 being more than double the global average of 3.7 per 100 000.

The incidence rate for males and females at 14.4 and 4.5 per 100 000 respectively are also more than double the global average. Across our Region, the oral disease burden also shows strong inequalities, with higher prevalence and severity among poor and disadvantaged populations who generally have lower access to prevention, care and rehabilitation.

Fulfilling its commitments to technical guidance, WHO provided actionable guidance and technical support to all countries through the Action Plan for oral health in South-East Asia 2022–2030. The Action Plan focused on addressing the burden of oral diseases and conditions specific to the Region and the inequalities in access for vulnerable groups.

Four countries in our region have formulated national plans aligned to the Regional Plan which was approved in 2022. The key actions that are being adopted by countries include:

- developing packages of essential oral health services that meet priority needs to be delivered in primary health care settings

- designing innovative and effective workforce models with the engagement of both public and private oral health providers to address shortages and distribution imbalances in the workforce, and

- expanding oral health promotion in schools, workplaces and other community settings to engage, empower, and instill life-long oral hygiene practices

Contributing to the global target of environmentally sound oral health care, Thailand is one of three countries selected by WHO and UNEP globally to build capacity in the environmentally sound management of associated wastes under the Minamata Convention. A series of four online courses on oral health is being launched on OpenWHO to support countries build capacity of non-oral health and oral health professionals on essential services.

Interventions to reduce the burden of risk factors for oral diseases which are also common to noncommunicable diseases, through the implementation of WHO technical packages, continue to be priorities in the Region. These risk factors include tobacco use, the harmful use of alcohol and diets high in sugar.

I am pleased that all Member States are implementing the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the WHO MPOWER package. The Regional Office launched the Quit Tobacco app, the first of its kind by WHO, which targets all forms of tobacco and helps users to identify triggers, set targets, manage cravings and stay focused on quitting. Five countries have enforced taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages.

While pledging the continued technical support of WHO, I urge all stakeholders to leverage the guidance to accelerate progress towards a South-East Asia in which all people are empowered and enabled to lead healthy and productive lives and enjoy the highest attainable state of oral health.

Saima Wazed is the Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region