NAIROBI — The Ministry has launched the National Oral Health Policy 2022-2030 and the first National Oral Health Strategic Plan 2022-2026. The five-year Strategic Plan will guide the implementation of the policy aimed at improving the oral health status of Kenyans.
Speaking when she presided over the launch of the documents, Health Principal Secretary Susan Mochache noted that the move is a bold step by the ministry to confront the oral health challenges that bedevil the country and protect all citizens from preventable diseases.
The PS noted that oral diseases are among the commonest chronic diseases worldwide and constitute a major public health problem due to the resultant disease and economic burden on individuals, families, societies, and health care systems.
“The National Oral Health Policy is an outcome of a situational analysis, which revealed gaps in oral health systems in Kenya, including infrastructure, human resource, commodities, supplies and technology, the policy will thus help bridge this gaps.” The PS said.
The PS noted that an oral survey conducted in 2015 revealed that one in every two children aged five years suffers from tooth decay. The findings also indicated that all adults interviewed had at least one current dental problem that required attention.” This is indeed a worrying situation in our country; one that the two documents that we are launching today must help us to fix.”
The PS assured that the Ministry has put mechanisms in place to fastrack implementation of the policy in order grant Kenyans their constitutional right to health and also to accelerate attainment of Universal Health Coverage.
She said that the policy will be implemented in consultation of all stakeholders, both public and private, that are actively working towards achieving UHC in Kenya to ensure that proper attention is given to oral health needs of Kenyans, especially vulnerable groups.
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