The Ministry of Health has launched the National Oral Health Policy 2022-2030 and the first National Oral Health Strategic Plan 2022-2026, to boost oral health among Kenyans.
The Government has assured that it shall provide the budget of the Sh2.27 billion required to drive the Five -Year Strategic Plan for successful implementation.
Presiding over the launch, Thursday, Health Principal Secretary (PS), Susan Mochache, said the launch is a great boost to the Government’s ‘Big 4’ Agenda that includes affordable healthcare for all, as one of the key development priorities.
The PS noted that the launch of the two documents is the first bold step of the Ministry to confront the oral health challenges, for it seeks to empower communities to take responsibility for caring for their oral needs, by practicing good oral hygiene.
“Some of the most terrifying findings of the country’s situational analysis, included the fact that one in every two children aged five years suffers from tooth decay,” said Mochache, adding that over 99 per cent of children have had at least one dental problem, while all adults indicated that they had at least one current dental problem that required attention.
The PS highlighted that the Policy shall as well adopt and incorporate school oral health programmes within the early childhood and primary school curricula, as a long-term means to improve the oral health status of the future generation.
Mochache assured of the governments’ commitment to provide the necessary budgetary support to the Oral Health Services Unit, to facilitate the outlined strategic activities in recognition of the integral role of oral health within general health and its contribution to the wellbeing, productivity and quality of life of Kenyans.
She noted that the Ministry of Health is committed to promote integration of services by increasing linkages between the oral health programmes within the Ministry of Health agenda for Non-communicable Diseases, Primary Health Care and Universal Health Coverage.
Mochache said the Policy provides a roadmap for a multi-agency approach, to train and equitably distribute human resources, in order to tackle oral health challenges in the Country.
To implement the documents, Mochache highlighted that the government shall as well adopt and incorporate school oral health programmes, within the early childhood and primary school curricula, as a long-term means to improve the oral health status of the future generation.
Of oral diseases and other oral conditions, most of them are preventable.
World Health Organization (WHO), estimates that there are more than 3.5 billion cases of oral diseases and other oral conditions, most of which are preventable.
The Kenya Dental Association President, Tim Theuri, urged Kenyans to eat a well-balanced diet and avoid tobacco, alcohol and foods with high sugar content, saying they cause oral diseases.
“I thank WHO for partnering with us to come-up with this Oral Health Policy which also targets increasing interventions for Oral Cancer,” said Dr. Theuri.
He also thanked the NHIF for the good job it is doing that every Kenyan can access health services, but also pleaded for the body to expand a little for the Kenyans to enjoy Oral Health Care services.
Implementation of the Oral Health Policy contributes to the realization of the commitment made to every Kenyan through the Kenyan Constitution, 2010 – that “every person has the right to the highest attainable standard of health”.
