South-East Asian Region (SEAR)

Oral diseases are among the most common chronic diseases worldwide and constitute a major public health problem due to the huge health and economic burden on individuals, families, societies, and health care systems. The recent emphasis on the role of determinants of health, common risk factors and their recognition in the context of the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) provides good opportunities for integrating oral health into NCD prevention and control efforts. This Strategy for oral health in South-East Asia, 2013-2020, presents guidance to Member States in developing national policy and action plans to improve oral health within existing socioeconomic, cultural, political and health system contexts, fully in line and integrated with planning for prevention and control of NCDs. It expresses the consensus on major strategies in the area of oral health promotion as well as oral disease prevention and control for the South-East Asia Region aiming at reducing the health and socioeconomic burden resulting from oral diseases, reducing oral health inequities, and improving the quality of life of the population.

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of death globally and in the South-East Asia Region. The global action plan for prevention and control of NCDs 2013–2020, including a comprehensive monitoring framework with 25 indicators and 9 voluntary global targets, was endorsed by the Sixty-sixth World Health Assembly in May 2013. This action plan for prevention and control of NCDs in South-East Asia, 2013-2020 provides a roadmap for regional and national actions for developing and implementing policies and programmes to reduce the burden of NCDs within the regional socioeconomic, cultural, political and health system contexts. The regional NCD action plan is consistent with the global action plan and consolidates follow-up actions of the Political Declaration of the UN High-level Meeting on NCDs. The regional NCD action plan lists priority actions for Member States and WHO in four strategic action areas, namely (i) advocacy, partnerships and leadership; (ii) health promotion and risk reduction (iii) health systems strengthening for early detection and management of NCDs and their risk factors; and (iv) surveillance, monitoring and evaluation, and research. Implementation of these priority actions should lead to a reduction in overall mortality from major NCDs and achievement of the global and regional voluntary targets.