THE Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) Permanent Secretary Pauline McNeil has appealed to all Solomon Islanders to look after their oral health.
She made the call during the World Oral Health Day celebrated in Honiara on Thursday.
The theme for this year’s World Oral Health Day, “A Happy Mouth is a Happy Mind.”
In her remarks, PS Mrs McNeil said, oral diseases remain one of the most common but most preventable non-communicable diseases (NCD) globally, affecting approximately 3.5 billion people.
“The burden of oral diseases is particularly concerning in the Solomon Islands, placing increasing pressure on the healthcare system,” she said.
According to the Global Oral Health Status Report (WHO, 2022), Solomon Islands has the highest rate of tooth decay in baby teeth among children aged 1 to 9 years in the Western Pacific region.
Mrs McNeil said in Solomon Islands, many people, especially in rural areas, find it hard to get dental care – because of so many reasons (perhaps we don’t have the services available, we don’t have a dentist around, even if the service exists in the health facility.
She said oral diseases, such as tooth decay, gum disease, and oral cancer, share the same risk factors as other diseases like diabetes.
“This means that if we take care of our oral health, and eat healthy and the right food, we can also help prevent other lifestyle diseases,” she said.
Mrs McNeil said the best way to fight oral diseases is through prevention.
“Simply, daily habits like brushing with fluoride toothpaste, flossing, eating healthy foods, and visiting the dentist regularly can protect our teeth. At the same time, we must also stop harmful habits like eating too much sugar and chewing betel nuts, which can cause oral cancer and other serious health problems.”
Speaking on behalf of the Australia and New Zealand governments, the Australia High Commission’s Human Development Counselor Dr Tristan Amstrong emphasised the importance of oral health and encouraged everyone and the children who were present at the event to brush their teeth every day.
The MHMS, together with the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD), New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), World Health Organisation (WHO) and eight Primary Schools in Honiara marked the event.
– MHMS
