The 34th Pre-WHA Meeting of the Commonwealth Health Ministers has unanimously agreed and adopted CDA’s ‘The Commonwealth Oral Health Statement’. The statement reads as follows:
Biology is not the sole determinant of health status. There may be social, economic, environmental, and other factors of importance. Oral Health, an integral part of general health, is subject to these same determinants.
Growing disparities between rich and poor countries and different population groups within the same nation are significant characteristics of economic globalisation in the late 20th and early 21st Century. These differences are reflected in the growing disparities in oral health between the rich and poor throughout the world.
Besides dental caries and periodontal diseases, increasing physical violence, maxillo-facial injuries and craniofacial anomalies, there are several life threatening conditions which affect both the mouth and oral health, and are of major public health concern. These include oro-pharangeal cancer, HIV/AIDS and the oral manifestations of HIV infection, Hepatitis B and C, tuberculosis and noma (cancrum oris). Their prevalence is increasing, and in some areas of the world has already reached epidemic proportions. All are associated with multiple risk factors and have a high mortality and morbidity rate. Poverty, lifestyle, public ignorance, and lack of proper information are important determinants of these conditions.
Commonwealth Health Ministers
- Recognise the increased responsibility that this upward trend in disease burden places on all members of the oral health care team, e.g the Commonwealth Dental Association (CDA) and the National Dental Association in each Commonwealth country, to be ever vigilant in the prevention, early detection, management and care of those at risk.
- Request the collaboration, support of governments, international bodies (e.g WHO, FDI, CDA, PAHO) and other agencies to:
- Develop partnerships with the dental profession to devise population strategies to prevent and control these conditions;
- Develop health promotion activities and educational programmes that will create healthier environments and increase: public awareness of hazardous lifestyles; people’s access to health education; the early detection of oral diseases through regular screening and self-examination; access to simple effective treatment for these and other important oral conditions.
- Encourage national dental associations to continue their efforts to:
- Improve continuing education for the oral health care team through regional collaboration and increased use of new information technologies.
- Work with their governments to improve access to oral health care for the disadvantaged and deprived communities.
- Assist their members in reducing disparities in oral health throughout the Commonwealth.
Pre-WHA Meeting of Commonwealth Health Ministers
Geneva, Switzerland
13 May 2001
Commonwealth Dental Association 