MoPH Launches National Oral and Dental Health Campaign

MOPH Qatar

QNA

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) will launched the National Oral and Dental Health Campaign in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) and the Police Hospital at the Ministry of Interior, starting Sept. 1.

The one-month campaign is part of the outcomes of the National Oral and Dental Health Committee aims at increasing awareness on the importance of oral and dental health and promoting communication between dental services and prevention sections in various health institutions and the various sectors in the society.

The campaign targets preparatory and secondary students in nearly 18 public and private schools by giving virtual awareness lectures on the importance of oral and dental health, during the second week of the campaign launch. All primary schools will also participate in the campaign by publishing educational materials on their websites in the third week of the campaign.

The fourth and final week of the campaign will be devoted to educating smokers and diabetics through clinics specialized in diabetes patients and combating smoking. The campaign also targets all segments of the society such as children, adolescents and adults. It also encourages a healthy diet and reducing sugar in food and beverages.

As part of the campaign, educational awareness publications about oral and dental health will be published on social media and on display screens at public entrances to government and private hospitals and waiting areas. Free medical consultations will be provided by dentists who will answer all questions that will be asked by the public via the Twitter account of the Ministry of Public Health, throughout the month of September.

Within the framework of the National Health Strategy 2018-2022 and under the umbrella of the National Oral and Dental Health Committee, the Primary Health Care Corporation, in cooperation with health authorities in the State of Qatar, implemented the National Oral and Dental Health Survey for children aged between 4 and 8 years. Hamad Medical Corporation and the Police Hospital at the Ministry of Interior and Qatar Petroleum took part in the survey, in cooperation with the University of Adelaide in Australia.

The survey provided officials and supervisors of oral and dental health in the State of Qatar with the necessary information to make recommendations on how to limit the spread of oral and dental diseases and develop optimal plans for prevention. The Committee also have plans to implement surveys and other awareness programs in this regards.