WHO warns Africa faces oral health crisis with 17% service access
WHO raises alarm over Africa's oral health crisis, revealing only 17% of people have access to essential services despite high prevalence of preventable dental diseases. WHO Africa Director Mohamed Janabi highlighted that 42% of the region's population suffered from oral diseases in 2021, including dental caries, gum disease, tooth loss and noma - a severe gangrenous disease affecting children. These conditions cause pain, disability and avoidable suffering while straining families and health systems. Steps are being taken: Ghana, Madagascar, Tanzania and Uganda developed national strategies with Borrow Foundation support. Ethiopia trained 850 healthcare workers for noma detection and surveillance. Nigeria faces severe challenges with fewer than 5,000 dentists for 200 million people. Workforce shortages and underinvestment persist despite progress toward universal coverage by 2030.