Dr Alanoud al-Thani and Dr al-Emadi announcing the unified GCC Oral Health Week 2013 at a press meet yesterday.
By Noimot Olayiwola/Staff ReporterThe Supreme Council of Health (SCH) will hold the fourth unified GCC Oral Health Week 2013 from March 25 to 31 with the aim of creating a unified Gulf model to combat oral diseases in general and tooth decay in particular.The GCC Oral Health Unified Week was adopted in all GCC countries according to a resolution issued by the GCC Health Ministers in their 65th conference, which was held in Geneva in 2008. The Gulf plan was approved to promote oral health and focus on the importance of preventive measures to reduce the incidence of oral and dental diseases.Every year, the last week of March is dedicated to raising awareness of dental diseases and how to prevent them among all sections of society, as well as to highlight chronic diseases such as diabetes to reduce dental-related ailments.This year, the event will be held under the theme “Dental Health and Beauty”. Government as well as non-government institutions will participate in activities that will raise awareness and seek to promote oral health and dental hygiene among the public, especially schoolchildren. The awareness programmes are again being organised in collaboration with the Supreme Education Council, Primary Health Care Corporation, Hamad Medical Corporation and College of the North Atlantic-Qatar (CNA-Q). Ahmed bin Mohamed Military College is taking part for the first time.In celebration of the week, students of the dental assistant programme at CNA-Q will organise a table clinic next Tuesday featuring a variety of topics related to dental health.Another aim of the oral health week is to develop a unified Gulf model to combat oral diseases in general and tooth decay in particular, besides attempting to unify activities and awareness programmes that may contribute to the promotion of oral and dental health in all GCC countries.Speaking at a press conference to announce the week-long event yesterday, the Public Health Department’s Health Promotion and Non-communciable Diseases manager Dr Alanoud bint Mohamed al-Thani said observing the week in Qatar for the past three years has increased awareness of oral health among the communities in the country.“Since launching the GCC Oral Health Week in Qatar, we have noticed an increase in the awareness level of people about their dental and oral health, especially among children, who need such education from an early age,” she said.The official stressed that the initiative launched earlier in 2013 with Colgate on dental health among primary schoolstudents, would contribute to this year’s success.Speaking on the national oral health strategy being developed by the SCH in Qatar, oral health unit superviser Dr Abdulla Asad al-Emadi said work was under way on the plan, which was being reviewed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and awaiting approval by the higher authorities.Asked about the most common dental and oral diseases as well as their prevalence in Qatar, Dr Alanoud al-Thani said the results of the first National Oral Health Survey conducted in 2011 would soon be released after approval from the WHO in the next two-three months. The survey was conducted on about 4,500 students aged six, 12 and 15 years old. It was expected that the results of the survey would help develop the national oral health strategy, officials added.According to an HMC official, dental caries and periodontal diseases are common in Qatar.