Action Needed on Oral Diseases within the Global NCD Agenda

Abstract

The historic 2021 World Health Organization Oral Health Resolution urged member states to address key risk factors of oral diseases shared with other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and embed oral health within the NCD and universal health coverage agendas. The subsequent 2022 Global Oral Health Strategy and 2023 Global Oral Health Action Plan advocated for an increase in resource allocation to oral health within the NCD agenda. Despite oral diseases being classified as an NCD and affecting ~3.7 billion persons, substantially more than other NCDs, oral diseases are not primarily included within the NCD Agenda and within their 5 × 5 framework. Oral diseases remain siloed, divorced from the primary health care systems, and significantly affect communities from lower- and middle-income countries as well as vulnerable populations in all countries. This position paper considers the similarities between the primarily discussed NCDs and oral diseases and provides evidence and rationale for the integration of oral diseases within the NCD agenda and framework toward the prevention and control of NCDs. The integration of oral diseases can thereby strengthen the response to the Global Oral Health Resolution and Action Plan to provide a reform of health care systems and national policies to be inclusive of and responsive to oral health.