Only 17% of Africans have access to essential oral health services

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised concern about the growing burden of oral diseases in Africa, noting that only 17 per cent of people in the region have access to essential oral health services, despite the high prevalence of preventable dental conditions.

The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Mohamed Janabi, disclosed this in a message to commemorate World Oral Health Day 2026.

World Oral Health Day is a global health awareness day observed annually on 20 March to highlight the importance of oral health and encourage people to prevent dental diseases through better hygiene and regular care. The theme for 2026 is “A Happy Mouth is a Happy Life.”

Mr Janabi noted that oral diseases are among the most common and preventable health conditions, yet they remain one of the most neglected areas of public health.

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According to the WHO, oral diseases affect a significant share of the population in the African region.

Mr Janabi said about 42 per cent of the region’s population was affected by oral diseases in 2021, including dental caries, gum disease, tooth loss and noma, a severe gangrenous disease that primarily affects children.

“These conditions cause pain, disability and avoidable suffering, while placing sustained pressure on families, communities and health systems,” he said.

Steps to address the crisis

Despite the challenges, the WHO said some African countries have begun implementing policies and programmes to improve oral health services.

In 2025, member states endorsed the WHO African Regional Framework on Oral Health, which supports the implementation of the Global Oral Health Action Plan and aims to achieve universal oral health coverage by 2030.

The WHO said several countries have already taken steps to strengthen prevention and treatment services.

“With financial support from the Borrow Foundation, Ghana, Madagascar, Tanzania and Uganda have developed national oral health strategies to strengthen prevention and service delivery,” he said.

In Ethiopia, the WHO said more than 850 primary healthcare and community health workers have been trained across 10 regions to improve the early detection of noma.

The country has also integrated noma surveillance into mass drug administration campaigns that have reached over 2.6 million people nationwide.

Efforts to expand the oral health workforce

Workforce shortages remain one of the biggest obstacles to improving oral healthcare across the region.

The WHO said some countries have begun investing in national training programmes to address the gap in workforce shortages.

In Malawi, a new Bachelor of Dental Surgery programme has been established alongside the construction of a new dental school, and the country is now graduating its first locally trained dentists.

Similarly, Tanzania has expanded its oral health workforce and improved long-term service delivery nationwide.

“A total of 594 dental therapists have been trained, dentists have been deployed to all 184 district councils, and the proportion of health facilities providing restorative treatments increased from 25 per cent to 45 per cent between 2023 and 2025,” he said.

WHO collaborating centres, including the Japan Institute for Health Security and Niigata University, have also supported countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia in strengtheninging oral healthcare services at the primary care level through workforce training athe nd the delivery of essential interventions.

Nigeria’s oral health challenge

Nigeria is not exempt from the growing burden of oral diseases, which health experts say remain widely underreported and underfunded.

Common conditions in the country include tooth decay, gum disease, tooth loss and oral infections, many of which are largely preventable through proper oral hygiene and regular dental care.

Data show that Nigeria has fewer than 5,000 registered dentists serving a population of more than 200 million people, a ratio far below the WHO’s recommendations.

Studies also suggest that between 15 and 44 per cent of Nigerians experience dental caries, particularly among children and adolescents.

Major gaps persist

Despite these efforts, the WHO warned that major gaps remain in oral health service delivery across the region.

According to Mr Janabi, workforce shortages, chronic underinvestment, and insufficient prevention measures, including high sugar consumption and inadequate fluoride exposure, continue to drive preventable oral diseases, especially in underserved areas.

“Improving oral health is fundamental to universal health coverage. In addition to reducing preventable illness, it also lowers long-term costs and improves well-being across the life course,” he said.

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He added that the WHO is also supporting countries to adopt more environmentally sustainable dental practices, including the gradual phase-out of mercury-containing dental amalgam in line with the Minamata Convention on Mercury.

Call for stronger action

Mr Janabi urged governments and health stakeholders to intensify efforts to address oral health challenges across Africa.

“On this World Oral Health Day, I call on governments, partners, academia and civil society to unite to accelerate implementation of national oral health strategies, strengthen workforce capacity and expand access to essential services,” he said.

He added that improving oral health is essential to achieving universal health coverage and reducing preventable illness across the region.

“With sustained commitment and investment, the African Region can reduce the burden of oral diseases, and ensure that future generations grow, learn and live free from preventable oral diseases,” he said.