Action on oral health
WHO / Joao Soares Gusmao
Health workers at work in Timor-Leste.
Health workers at work in Timor-Leste.
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Overview
Oral diseases are highly prevalent and among the most common NCDs in the South-East Asia Region. The disease burden shows strong inequalities, with higher prevalence and severity in poor and disadvantaged populations, who generally have lower access to prevention, care and rehabilitation for oral health care and services.
Resolution of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia- SEA/RC75/R2
Key facts
- More than 900 million cases of untreated dental caries, severe periodontal diseases and edentulism in the South-East Asia region.
- Prevalence of untreated caries of deciduous teeth among children of one to nine years old is estimated as 43.8%, with an estimated 135 million cases.
- Estimated prevalence of untreated caries of permanent teeth in people over five years of age is 28.7%, translating into 526 million cases.
- Severe periodontal disease is estimated at 307 million and edentulism is estimated at 52.7 million.
- The South-East Asia region has the highest oral cancer incidence and mortality rates among all WHO regions, with the estimated age-standardized mortality for males (8.1 per 100 000) being more than
- double the global average (3.7 per 100 000).
- All countries of the region have a shortage of dentistry personnel (dentists, dental assistants dental laboratory technicians), and where they are available there is significant geographic misdistribution.
- Oral health care is often associated with high out-of-pocket expenditure, leading to catastrophic expenditure for poorer households.
- For more information https://www.who.int/health-topics/oral-health#tab=tab_1
