A report published by the World Health Organisation has revealed that 3.5 billion people suffer from oral diseases with three out of four affected living in low and middle-income countries.
Health Secretary Dr. Palitha Mahipala said that oral health had long been neglected in global health, but many oral diseases could be prevented and treated with the cost-effective measures outlined in the report.
He was participating at the occasion of distributing dental micromotors worth Rs 3.5 million to strengthen the dental health care services through the World Bank project to strengthen the primary health care system of the Health Ministry.
Dental micromotors are electrically powered devices used in dental clinics and surgeries. According to the Primary Health Systems Strengthening Project (PSSP) of the Health Ministry, these devices were provided at the Colombo Family Health Bureau marking the World Oral Health Day.
The Health Secretary said that this is a common issue in our country and that activities for the promotion of oral health should be started from young children and that school dental therapists will provide a lot of support for this. He said that the school dental healthcare service has been successfully implemented for more than 60 years in Sri Lanka. The health secretary further insisted that there is a constant connection between oral diseases and physical health.
Family Health Bureau Director Dr. Chitramali de Silva, World Bank Project Director to Empower the Primary Health Care System of Health Ministry Dr. Jayasundara Bandara and a group of specialists, doctors were present.
Ishara Mudugamuwa