WHO/Europe will convene a 3-day international workshop in Samarkand for representatives from central Asia and the Caucasus to accelerate progress on oral health and align national strategies with the global oral health commitments set for 2030. It will also include experts from WHO, France, Ireland and Malta to share experience from across the WHO European Region.
The workshop is part of a multicountry event series funded by the Borrow Foundation.
Oral diseases: a call to action
Oral diseases affect 3.5 billion people worldwide, and the burden continues to grow. In 2019 the number of major oral disease cases reached 466 million in the Region alone – a 10% increase since 1990. Productivity losses from oral diseases in the Region are estimated to be US$ 104 billion.
Despite affecting more than half the Region’s population, oral health remains one of the most under-addressed areas of public health that deepens health disparities. Among the most pressing issues is limited access to essential services and high out-of-pocket expenditures. Out-of-pocket expenditures disproportionately affect vulnerable households, pushing 1–12% of families into poverty or further impoverishment.
Countries across the Region face gaps in aligning national oral health policies with the WHO Global Oral Health Strategy and Action Plan 2023–2030. Member States from central Asia, the Caucasus and beyond have requested targeted support from WHO to strengthen national programmes, integrate oral health into the broader context of noncommunicable diseases (NCD) and universal health coverage (UHC), and reduce inequalities in access to essential oral health services.
This workshop will provide countries with technical guidance and practical tools for transforming oral health.
Workshop plans and objectives include:
- integrating oral health more effectively into NCD prevention, UHC reforms and health protection agendas;
- reviewing global and regional oral health developments, key challenges and lessons learned;
- better aligning health policies with the WHO Global Oral Health Strategy and Action Plan 2023–2030 and its monitoring and evaluation framework;
- strengthening country capacity for developing or revising national oral health policies and developing roadmaps using WHO tools;
- supporting countries in defining essential oral health services and integrating them into health benefit packages;
- exploring possibilities to apply artificial intelligence and digital solutions to oral health; and
- identifying subregional collaboration opportunities requiring WHO technical support.
The workshop will be conducted in Russian and English, with simultaneous interpretation. The 3-day event will feature presentations, discussions and hands-on group work.
WHO/Europe is committed to working closely with ministries of health, national experts and regional partners to advance oral health outcomes for the populations of central Asia and the Caucasus.