The WHO Regional Office for Africa has led the promotion of oral health as well as the prevention and control of oral diseases in the WHO African Region by providing strategic direction, such as developing the regional oral health strategy 2016–2025. In line with the global strategy on oral health and its action plan, such strategic direction is meant to guide Member States in developing national plans to promote oral health, reduce health inequalities, and strengthen efforts to address oral diseases and conditions as part of noncommunicable disease (NCD) prevention and control toward universal health coverage (UHC) for oral health for all by 2030.
To advance the implementation of these ambitious strategies, in collaboration with partners, the WHO Regional Office for Africa supports Member States by:
- advocating for increased political and financial commitment at the highest levels to address oral health as part of NCDs, primary health care (PHC), and UHC
- providing holistic guidance, tools, and standards to Member States in their efforts to develop and implement national oral health policy documents for the prevention and control of oral diseases as part of NCDs, PHC, and UHC
- supporting the inclusion of oral health services in essential health packages as part of the UHC benefit package and including oral health medicines/consumables in the essential medicines list
- mobilizing resources to support countries in developing and implementing national oral health policy documents
- developing a priority oral health research agenda and supporting operational research to generate evidence on the cost-effectiveness and feasibility of population-wide measures and their public health impact
- supporting the development and implementation of an efficient oral health workforce model within the overall national workforce strategy
- building the capacity of oral health focal points in ministries of health and other professionals to accelerate the oral health agenda at the country level
- monitoring disease burden, risk factors, health service use, and other health trends related to oral health.