un logo Improvement of oral health in Africa in the 21st century ? the role of the WHO Global Oral Health Programme

Poul Erik Petersen

World Health Organization, Oral Health Programme, Geneva, Switzerland

Summary

Chronic diseases and injuries are overtaking communicable diseases as the leading health problems in all but a few parts of the world. This rapidly changing global disease pattern is closely linked to changing lifestyles which include diet rich in sugars, widespread use of tobacco and increased consumption of alcohol. These lifestyle factors also significantly impact oral health, and oral diseases qualify as major public health problems owing to their high prevalence and incidence in all regions of the world. Like all diseases, they affect primarily the disadvantaged and socially marginalized populations, causing severe pain and suffering, impairing functionability and impacting quality of life. Traditional treatment of oral diseases is extremely costly even in industrialized countries and is unaffordable in most low and middle-income countries. The WHO Global Strategy for prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases and the ?common risk factor approach? offer new ways of managing the prevention and control of oral diseases. This report outlines major characteristics of the current oral health situation in Africa and development trends as well as WHO strategies and approaches for better oral health in the 21st century.

Key words: Africa, oral health, risk factor, development

 

 

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Correspondence: Dr Poul Erik Petersen World Health Organization, Oral Health Programme, Chronic Disease and Health Promotion, 20 Avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Editor's Note to Volume 2 - Dental Research in Africa

The state of dental research in Africa is lamentable when compared to the other continents. While this situation is unacceptable, it is not surprising because oral health personnel on the continent are not yet strategically placed to be able to influence health policy and decisions on funding.

There is a general lack of government support for oral health research. Most countries do not have established bodies that fund oral health research.

South Africa is a worthy exception in this regard and the Medical Research Council of South Africa, the Health Systems Research and corporate bodies contribute substantially to the funding of oral health research.

Inadequate, outdated or total lack of equipment severely limits the types of research that are reported from Africa. Basic amenities such as water and regular electricity that are taken for granted in the industrialized countries are still issues retarding frontline research endeavour in Africa.

What then is the way forward? While Deans of Dental schools and Heads of Oral health services in the ministries must cooperate and work out strategic plans to enhance the overall status of oral health services and research, initiatives such as the African Journal of Oral Health will strive to improve dental research and output on the African continent.

Oral health personnel in Africa cannot afford to be complacent and must rise up to the challenges. International bodies working to enhance oral health services at the global level must give priority to initiatives on the African continent. In the current edition of AJOH, we have articles from Tunisia, Kenya, Congo and Nigeria. AJOH will continue to strive for better coverage and service within and outside the continent.



Professor E. O. Ogunbodede
Editor-in-Chief

SQUAMOUS ODONTOGENIC TUMOUR: REPORT OF FIVE CASES FROM NIGERIA AND REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Adebiyi K.E., Odukoya O., Taiwo, E.O.
Department of Oral Biology and Oral Pathology Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idiaraba, Lagos, Nigeria

ABSTRACT.
Objectives: To report and describe 5 cases of squamous odontogenic tumour(S.O.T) that accumulated in the file of the biopsy services of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos during a period of 21 years, review the literature and to comment on the nature of this rare tumour.

Methods: Haematoxylin and eosin stained sections of each of the tumours histologically diagnosed as S.O.T were reviewed with the objective of reconfirming the diagnosis in the biopsy report file.

Results: 5 cases of S.O.T. were diagnosed during this period. The mean age of occurrence (+SD) was 36.6 years + 10 (range 20 to 45 years). All the five (100%) cases presented in females, 4(80%) occurred in the mandible and 1 (20%) occurred in the maxilla. All the 4 mandibular lesions occurred in the body of the mandible while the single maxillary lesion occurred in the posterior region.

Discussion: All the 5 cases in the present series presented in females, though review of the literature showed that this tumour do occur in males also but with a female predominance. The mandibular prevalence (4 out of 5) in this series contrasts with reports in the literature. This variation may be due the limited number cases studied, but are however important additions to the few reported cases.

Conclusion: Care should be taken not to misdiagnose this condition as acanthomatous ameloblastoma or well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Although, it has an infiltrative pattern of growth, S.O.T. has become accepted as a distinct lesion rather than a variant of ameloblastoma. Treatment should be by conservative excision

Keywords: Squamous odontogenic tumour, report, Nigeria.

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Correspondence: Adebiyi K.E
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial surgery and Oral Pathology
Faculty of Dentistry, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile- Ife.
Telephone: 2348033447558

Editorial to Volume 3

THE NEED FOR IMPROVED ORAL HEALTH TRAINING, RESEARCH AND CARE IN AFRICA

I am happy to present to you the third Volume of the African Journal of Oral Health (AJOH). This particular edition contains important articles on Squamous Odontogenic Tumours; Dental health among school population in Nigeria; Caries experience in the primary dentition of nursery school children; Dietary counseling in the prevention and control of oral diseases; Prosthetic management of ectodermal dysplasia and partial anodontia ; Breast-feeding, bottle-feeding and caries experience; and Oral candidosis in HIV/AIDS.

There is an urgent need to improve oral health research and care on the African continent. Global technological advancement must not leave Africa behind. It is comforting that several initiatives aimed at improving oral and general health had been put together on the African Continent in recent times. It is my hope that this trend will not only continue but, will increase and extend to other development oriented endeavours. The activities of the Federation Dentaire Inernationale (FDI) and the World Health Organisation are also noted and commended.

Reported Research findings in Journals such as AJOH have substantial influence on health sciences education and clinical practice in Africa. While it can be argued that this is the situation globally, the influence of journals appears to be particularly more penetrating in the developing countries where textbooks are not easily available or affordable.

Therefore, AJOH will continue to work assiduously towards the achievement of its noble objectives, with particular focus on the African continent.

Professor E. O. Ogunbodede
Editor-in-Chief
African Journal of Oral Health.

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