Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease on the planet, affecting an estimated five billion people, equivalent to 80% of the world. To address this issue, experts from around the world are to mobilize, through a Global Alliance For A Future Free of decay, to define strategies, goals and implement programs to help combat tooth decay in the world.
An important step in that direction was given during the FDI World Dental Congress 2010, held this month in the city of Salvador (Brazil). During the event, world leaders in oral health have signed an agreement for the implementation of comprehensive prevention and management of caries in the world. Among the participants were representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO), Pan American Health Organization, the International Dental Federation (FDI), International Association for Dental Research (IADR) and the Brazilian Dental Association (ABO) as well as leading experts in health dental and public authorities in Brazil and elsewhere.
The Global Alliance is formed by a worldwide group of experts in dentistry and public health advocate the importance of decay be understood as an ongoing illness that requires comprehensive prevention and control its progression is interrupted in the world and can be walked in the direction of future without a cavity.
According to Roberto Vianna associate professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and president of the IDF, tooth decay is a global problem that causes harmful effects to health, society and economy. Despite the progress made in prevention and treatment, caries is still a neglected epidemic in many countries, says the expert.
Following the trend of changes in dietary patterns in the world, some countries struggle to prevent the growth and prevalence of caries in the population. These changes result in a decrease of habits of oral health care, and impact on other health issues, reduce the quality of life, self-esteem, employability and social mobility.
From the economic point of view, in recent years, the incidence of caries has increased significantly, linked social inequalities, affecting the productivity of people and impacting the growth of countries, notes the expert.
As a first step, the Global Alliance plans to increase awareness about the problem of caries, including on their economic and social impact, through the launch of a public health campaign. This campaign should intensify international commitment by signing a formal declaration of public health and reveal online tools that enable a new approach to the problem.
Caries is an infectious disease that can result in the destruction and tooth loss if not treated. It is caused by the proliferation of bacteria and other determinants, such as food waste remaining in the mouth. One of the most effective ways to prevent tooth decay is prevention.
New feature on the Internet for Professionals and Communities - The first initiative undertaken by the Global Alliance For A Free Future Caries is a free online resource that provides professionals and communities, evidence-based tools and support materials (eg case studies, analysis systematic) for local action. The goal of the website is to offer subsidies for communities, groups and individuals committed to fighting tooth decay, and is a platform to mobilize resources, share best practices and contact with other stakeholders.
Although there are many tools and sources of information to guide the development of interventions against caries; we approved the evidence-based analysis, because it will help us have success through the use of tools and technologies that improve the prevention and management decay Pucca Gilberto says, National Coordinator of Oral Health of the Ministry of Health of Brazil. We hope to take these resources in Brazil as we work with the Ministry of Health, the dental community, and other leaders to ensure that people of all economic levels are benefited.
Continued Public Health Action - As a next action, the Global Alliance wants to continue to stimulate a dialogue with world health organizations, as well as running campaigns at local level. The main future steps include:
§ By 2015, 90% of dental schools and dental associations will have adopted and promoted a new approach to caries as a continuous problem in order to improve the prevention and management;
§ By 2020, regional members of the Global Alliance For A Future Free of decay should be integrated in a locally appropriate systems of prevention and management of caries, closely monitored;
§ All children born since the year 2026 should have no decay throughout his life.
Global Alliance For A Future Free of Caries - The Global Alliance For A Free Future Caries was created in collaboration with a panel of world experts in dentistry and public health. It is sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive, which supports the improvement of oral health through partnerships with dental professionals, governments and public health agencies, and project management Smiles Bright Futures, an initiative of oral health education for children in around the world. Because the goal of stimulating collaborative global action, the Alliance also seeks partnerships with global leaders and other stakeholders at regional and local - including leaders of countries and communities, health professionals and dentistry, community and public policy education and population.
* * *
The results emerged from the meeting of the IDF must be reflected in the guidelines and policy options for public health of various governments. It is imperative that the Portuguese health authorities (Ministry of Health, Directorate - General Health, Ministry of Education) clearly take tooth decay as the main infectious disease affecting the Portuguese population and to establish an immediate goals for their effective control and eradication.
Portugal can not continue to be a poor relation in the third - world in Europe, with regard to oral health care provided by the National Health Service is unacceptable that, compared to Portugal, there is currently poor and underdeveloped countries of the Third - World to do more and better oral health for their populations.
It is clearly time to take that Portugal has all the facilities and human and financial resources that enable the control and eradication of dental caries, missing only the political will to take the right step in that direction.
No comments:
Post a Comment