World Oral Health Day 2026 | WHO

Message from WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Janabi 

On World Oral Health Day 2026, we flip our consideration to a silent however widespread well being problem affecting communities throughout the WHO African Region. Oral illnesses are among the many commonest and preventable well being situations, but they continue to be one of the uncared for areas of public well being.

Oral illnesses, together with dental caries, gum illness, tooth loss and the devastating situation noma, affected 42% of our inhabitants in 2021. These situations trigger ache, incapacity and avoidable struggling, whereas putting sustained stress on households, communities and well being methods.

Recognizing this burden, Member States endorsed the WHO African Regional Framework on Oral Health in 2025. This framework advances implementation of the WHO Global Oral Health Action Plan, and establishes a transparent path in direction of common oral well being protection by 2030.

Countries are already translating these commitments into motion. With monetary help from the Borrow Foundation, Ghana, Madagascar, Tanzania and Uganda have developed nationwide oral well being methods to strengthen prevention and repair supply. Ethiopia, with help from Hilfsaktion Noma e.V., has skilled greater than 850 major care and neighborhood well being staff throughout 10 areas to enhance the early detection of noma, additionally integrating noma surveillance into mass drug administration campaigns which have reached over 2.6 million folks nationwide.

To strengthen nationwide coaching capability and construct a sustainable oral well being workforce, Malawi has established its inaugural Bachelor of Dental Surgery programme, constructed a brand new dental college, and graduated its first locally-trained dentists.

In Tanzania, workforce enlargement and nationwide deployment are supporting earlier care and enhancing long-term well being outcomes. A complete of 594 dental therapists have been skilled, dentists have been deployed to all 184 district councils, and the proportion of well being amenities offering restorative remedies elevated from 25% to 45% between 2023 and 2025.

WHO Collaborating Centres, together with the Japan Institute for Health Security and Niigata University, have additional supported nations together with Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia to strengthen major care stage oral well being providers, by workforce coaching and expanded supply of important interventions.

However, main gaps persist. Only 17% of individuals in our area at the moment have entry to important oral well being providers. Workforce shortages, persistent underinvestment and inadequate prevention measures, together with excessive sugar consumption and insufficient fluoride publicity, proceed to drive preventable oral illnesses, particularly in undeserved areas. 

WHO can also be supporting nations to transition in direction of environmentally sustainable and fewer invasive oral well being care, together with the phase-out of mercury-containing dental amalgam consistent with the Minamata Convention on Mercury. Through evidence-based steerage, technical help and new evidence-based approaches, together with the lately issued WHO guideline on environmentally-friendly and fewer invasive oral well being, WHO helps develop prevention, strengthen service supply and combine important oral well being interventions on the major care stage.

Improving oral well being is prime to common well being protection. In addition to decreasing preventable sickness, it additionally lowers long-term prices and improves well-being throughout the life course.

On this World Oral Health Day, I name on governments, companions, academia and civil society to unite to speed up implementation of nationwide oral well being methods, strengthen workforce capability and develop entry to important providers.

WHO stays dedicated to supporting Member States in integrating oral well being into nationwide well being methods, and advancing equitable entry to care.

With sustained dedication and funding, the African Region can cut back the burden of oral illnesses, and be certain that future generations develop, be taught and stay free from preventable oral illnesses.

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