MoPH, Partners Launch Campaign to Promote Awareness on Oral, Dental Care

The Ministry of Public Health

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has launched an awareness campaign in cooperation with Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) to raise awareness on the importance of oral and dental care, positive habits, current oral and dental services in the community.

The campaign aims to enhance communication between dental services and prevention departments in various medical facilities with different sectors of society through targeting all segments of society such as children, adolescents, adults, and pregnant women in terms of guiding them to follow a healthy and balanced diet.

MoPH participates with its partners in encouraging all members of society to adopt healthy lifestyles from earlier age and reduce the spread of dental caries, in addition to change wrong behaviors towards oral and dental health care.

The launch of the campaign comes within the framework of the celebration of the World Oral Health Day, which is observed annually on Mar. 20, under the theme 'A happy mouth is a happy body', in addition to participating in the GCC Oral Health Unified Week from Mar. 25-31.

Director of the NCDs Prevention Programs at MoPH Sheikh Dr. Mohammed bin Hamad Al-Thani said the Ministry is keen to implement several programs and courses aimed at preventing oral diseases, pointing to the launch of health care program for the elderly last year, which targeted the medical staff concerned with the care of the elderly. He stated that MOPH will continue to implement such programs that support such a group and all segments of society.

For her part, Oral and Dental Health Specialist at the MoPH Dr. Wafaa Al Mulla said through the campaign launched by the Ministry, educational awareness publications on oral and dental health will be published via all social media accounts of the Ministry of Public Health and social platforms of health sector partners, since that is considered as a part of the outputs of the National Oral and Dental Health Committee with the participation of Hamad Medical Corporation and Primary Health Care Corporation.

In alignment with the GCC Oral Health Unified Week from Mar. 25 to 31 and in collaboration with (HMC), (PHCC) and health entities in the State of Qatar, the Ministry began implementing the national oral and dental health survey for young students aged 12-16 years and above from February, until the end of this year, added Al Mulla.

The survey aims to determine the level and quality of oral health information and its sources among parents of children and participating students, as well as to determine the level of tooth decay among school students in the State of Qatar so as to help compare the level of oral health information, its sources and the prevalence of tooth decay and oral diseases among male and female students whether Qataris or non-Qataris. Moreover, the survey will show the relationship between the level of oral health information and health practices, including dietary habits, with the prevalence of caries in male and female students. 

Source: QNA