Nairobi, 16 April 2004 -- The conference on oral health in Africa, held from 14 to 16 April in the Kenyan capital, ended Friday with the adoption of the Nairobi Declaration on Oral Health.

Highlights of the Declaration include emphasis on oral health as an integral part of general health and the need for appropriate oral health programmes in Africa. Participants expressed commitment to general and oral health as a basic human right.

They also resolved to work in partnership to improve oral health in the African Region, placing due emphasis on:

• the development of appropriate information-based oral heath policies at country level, 
• the pursuit of environmental and life-style changes to the benefit of health,
• support for affordable and preventable strategies, services, and supply of appropriate oral health personnel, and
• support for policies which promote access to locally based essential oral health care as part of primary health care programmes and the integration of oral health into general health promotion programmes.

In the Declaration, participants commended WHO and FDI World Dental Federation for convening the conference to examine the impact of oral problems and their relation to general health, and called on all stakeholders "to use their best endeavours to support the improvement of oral health" in the African Region.

The three-day conference was attended by 10 African Health and Finance Ministers, representatives from 48 African and nine non-African countries, and 38 national and international organizations active in the field of oral health promotion and care.

Commenting on the outcome of the meeting, the Regional Adviser for Oral Health in the WHO African Region, Dr Charlotte Ndiaye, said: "The Nairobi Declaration is a milestone in our quest to ensure appropriate, adequate, affordable and equitable oral health care to the largely underserved populations in the African Region. We will continue to work with the FDI World Dental Federation and other partners to realize the noble goals of the Declaration."

"The Nairobi Declaration on Oral Health in Africa reflects the intention of the leaders and health decision makers who attended the conference. This initiative lays the foundation for improving the oral health of the people of the continent," said FDI World Dental Federation President, Dr H.R. Yoon.

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