The Ministry of Health,through the Oral Health Section,will join the global community in commemorating World Oral Health Day on March 20,2025,at Nduluku Primary and Junior Secondary School in Makueni County.
The theme for this year’s World Oral Health Day is “A Happy Mouth is a Happy Mind.”This event aims to raise awareness about theimportance of oral health and its connection to mental health and overall well-being.
According to Dr Patrick Amoth Director General, Ministry of Health(DG ) Oral health is a fundamental component of general health,contributing to a better quality of life and reducing the burden of oral diseases in our communities.
“Poor oral health has been
linked to severe health conditions such as cardiovascular diseases,diabetes,and
respiratory infections,underscoring the need for preventive care and early intervention.”
He added that the Kenya National Oral Health Policy (2022-2030)and the Kenya National Oral Health
Strategic Plan(2022-2026)provide a framework for integrated preventive measures,
early intervention strategies,and community-based initiatives.
“These efforts align with
this year’s World Oral Health Day theme and reinforce the Ministry’s commitment to
ensuring accessible and affordable oral healthcare for all Kenyans.The Ministry is further working to protect human health and the environment from the effects of Mercury through development of the Kenya National Dental Amalgam Phase Down Plan based on the country’s Oral Health Policy and Strategic Plan Strategic objective 6.”
Through the oral
health section and community health division,the Ministry has included an oral health
module in the Community Health Promoters(CHPs)training curriculum to educate the
CHPs on oral health.Oral health indicators are now integrated into the electronic
Community Health Information System(eCHIS)to get household data on oral health.
In addition,the Ministry of Health is in the process of integrating oral health indicators into
the Kenya Health Information System-2 (KHIS-2)so as to get facility-based data to inform
policy and oral health interventions.
