Promoting Oral Health for Refugees: An Advocacy Guide
Date
2020-12-30
Authors
Kateeb, Elham
Zaheer, Khaleda
Fisher, Julian
Abd El Ghani, Ahmad
Williams, David
Dartevelle, Sophie
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
FDI World Dental Federation
Abstract
One of the main objectives of the FDI World Dental
Federation (FDI) 2018-2021 strategy is to promote
oral health among underserved populations globally.
The first pillar of FDI’s Vision 2030 advocacy strategy
states that essential oral health services should be
integrated into universal healthcare packages in
every country, and quality oral healthcare should
become available, accessible, and affordable to
all, with special attention paid to marginalized and
vulnerable populations. Refugees are among the
most vulnerable groups worldwide. They have
limited access to oral health education, oral disease
prevention and therapeutic dental care. This is
due, in part, to the relatively high cost of restorative
treatment, limited access and availability of dentists,
unaffordability of dental insurance, and language
barriers. Data collected by FDI from 105 National
Dental Associations found that a very significant
gap exists in oral health policies at global, regional,
and national levels. There are limited oral health
advocacy initiatives for refugees, who have poor
access to therapeutic and preventive interventions
related to oral care.
This guide was developed to address this gap and to
lead the way for national dental associations (NDAs)
and other interested stakeholders to:
• raise awareness of the burden that refugees face
to maintain their own oral health and the challenges
that host countries face to maintain good oral health
in their populations;
• highlight the gaps in data collection and the
importance of oral health screening/surveillance for
refugees;
• provide guidance on measuring and understanding
the problem with focused attention on the social
determinants of oral health;
• support countries that host refugees with tools and
strategies that can strengthen their own oral health
strategies and programmes;
• integrate the management of oral health conditions
among refugees into general health services and the
provision of care;
• mainstream oral health through health systems
planning, funding, and implementing oral health
promotion and disease prevention intervention
among this group.