By Ivyn Kipruto
Kenya has called for greater global action to address oral health, framing it as a critical element in the fight against non-communicable diseases (NCDs), at a high-level roundtable held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
The event, hosted by Colgate-Palmolive at Goals House in New York, brought together global health leaders to review progress in combating oral diseases and explore scalable interventions.
Representing Kenya, Principal Secretary for Medical Services Dr. Ouma Oluga said “Oral health is not just a medical issue; it cuts across education, agriculture, environment, and finance,”
The Ps called for a stronger cross-sector partnerships and global policies that reflect oral health strategic role in reducing NCDs.
Dr. Oluga added that oral health remains neglected despite nearly half the world’s population being affected.
He warned that oral diseases are closely linked to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, and urged that oral health be elevated within the global NCD agenda.
Dr. Oluga outlined Kenya’s recent progress, citing the National Oral Health Policy (2022–2030), the National Oral Health Strategic Plan, and the inclusion of an oral health module in the upcoming 2025 National STEP Survey.
He also pointed to the integration of oral health in community health promoter training and the impact of Colgate’s Bright Smiles, Bright Futures programme, which has reached more than 15 million Kenyan children.
People who also attended this event were, Anil Soni, CEO of the WHO Foundation; Janti Soeripto, President and CEO of Save the Children US; and Dr. Maria Ryan, Chief Clinical Officer at Colgate-Palmolive.
