The Department of Healthier Population and NCDS of the WHO South-East Asia (SE) Regional Office conducted a webinar on Preventing oral cancer: Role of oral health workforce in risk reduction and early detection on 2 April 2025 to commemorate the World Oral Health Day 2025. The objective of the webinar was to promote integration of oral cancer prevention and early detection into national oral health programs and existing initiatives by relevant stakeholders.
Burden of oral cancer attributable to smokeless tobacco and areca nut consumption in the WHO South-East Asia region, and the evidence-based interventions for reducing risk of oral cancer, and for early detection of oral cancer and oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD) were resented by an expert panel. This was followed by a series of presentations by the Member States in SE Asia region highlighting the integration of oral cancer risk reduction and screening for OMPD or oral cancer in the national oral health progarmmes. Interactive discussions among the participants was mainly focused on sharing experiences on overcoming the challenges related to implementing the interventions and in improving the screening methods using innovative technological solutions. The need for regionally relevant solutions to address smokeless tobacco and areca nut was also emphasized.
Over 100 participants from all the Member States in the SE Asia region and beyond attended the webinar. The recording of the proceedings can be accessed through the link below:
https://who.zoom.us/rec/share/WJqE9i9p09cL0ZmiSoQwLpplypZ1FpR68rY-BvzBnmQ546asbqdvxQpz_OTwQ2tE.F0At5ZeNwWEo6Brr