NEW DELHI: As India is facing a significant burden of oral diseases, with over 70% of the population affected, a global initiative was launched on Wednesday to address the oral health burden and strengthen health systems to ensure that high-quality oral health services are available, affordable and accessible to all.
Despite being preventable, oral diseases, including oral cancer, which accounts for over 30 per cent of all cancers in the country, continue to be under-addressed, leading to increased healthcare costs and worsening public health outcomes.
This four-year project CORE, an initiative for Community Focussed Oral Health Research for Equity will cover over 14 lakh marginalised and disadvantaged communities in Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, and Rajasthan.
The project was led in India by the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), in partnership with Jamia Millia Islamia University and Jan Swasthya Sewa Sansthan, in collaboration with institutes like Queen Mary University of London, University College London and many other globally renowned oral health experts. It aims to develop a comprehensive strategy to reduce the oral health burden in India, as well as in other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) like Kenya, Colombia, and Brazil.
Speaking with this paper, Prof. K. Srinath Reddy, distinguished Professor of Public Health, PHFI, said, “Good oral health is essential for every person on earth throughout life. Besides teeth being directly linked to nutrition, gum disease triggers inflammation, affecting many organs, including the heart, blood vessels, and the brain. From caries to cancer, there are many oral diseases which should be prevented but also provided restorative care when they occur.”
Despite the widespread need for accessible and affordable oral health services, most countries have not included them in the universal health coverage programme.
“This affects vulnerable sections of the population deprived of needed care. The multi-country CORE study, which will map the unmet community needs for oral health services, will help to spotlight the extent of equity gaps in oral health services and catalyse the inclusion of essential oral health services in national programmes for universal health coverage,” said Dr Reddy, who launched the project.