Platform for Better Oral Health in Europe Attends WHO Global Oral Health Meeting 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand
The Platform for Better Oral Health in Europe proudly participated in the first-ever WHO Global Oral Health Meeting held in Bangkok, Thailand. This landmark event convened over 110 countries, including Ministers of Health, civil society stakeholders, and global health professionals, to advance the integration of oral health into broader public health strategies.
Delegates adopted the historic Bangkok Declaration, a pivotal step towards strengthening international efforts to embed oral health within non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and to lay the groundwork for stronger commitments to be presented at the UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs in 2025.
Advancing Global Oral Health as a Right
At the core of our work lies a commitment to advancing oral health as an integral part of overall well-being. The Platform’s delegation had the opportunity to engage in open, action-driven discussions with global experts. The message is loud and clear: oral healthcare must be recognised as a fundamental human right.
One of the most significant outcomes of the meeting was the adoption of the Bangkok Declaration which touches on many important points, such as the integration of essential oral health services into Universal Health Coverage (UHC) benefit packages, on the recognition of oral health as essential to public wellbeing as well as a fundamental right, and on the importance of prevention, equity and sustainable oral health practices.
The WHO meeting served as a vital forum for reinforcing the importance of tackling oral health disparities. Oral diseases cost the world $710 billion annually. In the EU, treatment costs for oral and dental diseases rank third, following cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Yet, most oral conditions are preventable with the right policies and initiatives.
The Bangkok Declaration is a call for action to all stakeholders – governments, civil society, and professional associations – to work collaboratively to advance oral health as part of the NCD response and UHC. The Platform for Better Oral Health in Europe remains dedicated to advocating for these advancements, ensuring a healthier future for all.
An overview of the side events
Our delegation attended multiple side events in Bangkok, which showcased important initiatives and strategies to reach the goal of having oral health considerations taken into account on both the European and international levels of policymaking.
During the "Monitoring and surveillance of oral conditions" side event, our Chair, Dr. Dympna Kavanagh, called out the importance of incorporating psychosocial consumer or patient-reported outcomes in advocacy. The discussion centred around the need to develop more efficient and effective integrated health information systems that include oral health, ensuring these systems drive better outcomes and provide accurate insights for global oral health initiatives.
We were also present at "The WHO Action Plan: A collaborative response from oral health professionals’ education associations" event, organised by ADEE. The event reinforced critical priorities from the WHO Global Strategy and Action Plan on Oral Health 2023–2030, such as the need to engage international professional, research, and dental education associations to align with workforce reform agendas, support countries with the most critical oral health workforce shortages, promote innovative workforce models whilst considering financial and grant support to assess, strengthen, and diversify the oral health workforce.
We also had the privilege of participating in the side event "Balancing Sugar Consumption for Oral Health: Addressing Policies linked to Social and Commercial Determinants of Oral Diseases". The dialogue closely aligned with the WHO Global Strategy and Action Plan on Oral Health 2023–2030, and put a strong emphasis on the significance of advancing oral health as a public good, advocating for policies to reduce sugar consumption, and taking a holistic approach to oral health within the broader context of NCDs. The discussion was an inspiring reminder of the power of collaboration among civil society, governments, and professional associations to tackle the root causes of oral health challenges.
"Investing More, Investing Better: Using Economics to Shape Oral Health Policy" was moderated by none other than Dr. Dympna Kavanagh. Our Chair called for more involvement of civil society to drive interest and action for oral health policy. Concerningly, oral diseases cost the world $710 billion annually. In the EU, treatment costs for oral, dental, and jaw diseases rank third, behind cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, but oral conditions are almost entirely preventable at an early stage with the right policies and initiatives.
