PUTRAJAYA, May 20 (Bernama) — Malaysia hosted a side event in conjunction with the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA78) in Geneva, Switzerland, for the first time yesterday (May 19).
The Ministry of Health (MOH), in a statement today, said that the event, ‘Countdown to the United Nations High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs): From Bangkok to New York’, was officiated by Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
The event, themed “Advancing Universal Health Coverage for Oral Health by 2030”, was organised as a result of international strategic collaboration involving countries such as the Bahamas, Egypt, France, the Philippines and Thailand, together with the World Health Organisation (WHO), FDI World Dental Federation, University College London and Village Research.
This event reinforces the Bangkok Declaration of “No Health Without Oral Health”, which calls for oral diseases to be prioritised in the global health agenda.
The declaration reaffirms the commitment of member states to the WHA 2021 Oral Health Resolution and recommends that oral health be integrated into primary health care systems and the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) agenda, in line with the goals of Universal Health Coverage and environmental sustainability, it said.
The declaration also recommends that the key targets in the Global Oral Health Action Plan 2023–2030 be included in the Political Declaration of the Fourth United Nations High-Level Meeting (UNHLM) on NCDs to be held this September in New York.
The establishment of the Global Coalition for Oral Health was also announced as a platform for collaboration between countries and partners to support joint action.
The main objective of this event is to promote the Bangkok Declaration as a reference in drafting the UNHLM Declaration and explore opportunities for synergy between various parties to ensure that oral diseases are raised in the global NCD agenda.
“It is also to share best practices in the integration of oral health care within the UHC and NCD framework,” read the statement.
The ministry said Malaysia remains committed to championing oral health as part of human rights and will continue to work hand in hand with international strategic partners to expand access and reduce the burden of dental diseases by 2030.
According to WHO, oral diseases affect 3.7 billion people in the world and are among the most widespread NCDs.
In Malaysia, it is estimated that 94.6 per cent of adults need dental treatment, according to the 2020 National Health Survey.
— BERNAMA