Oral diseases - incl. dental caries, gum disease and oral cancer - affect an estimated 3.5 billion people globally.
They affect health, well-being and quality of life, especially where resources for prevention, diagnosis and treatment are limited.
Untreated dental caries in both primary (milk) and permanent teeth is the most common oral health condition. Reducing the amount of sugar we consume and regular toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste prevent dental caries bit.ly/3knxQzh
Severe gum disease is widespread and is a major cause of tooth loss. It is characterized by bleeding or swollen gums pain and sometimes bad breath.
The main causes are poor oral hygiene and tobacco use bit.ly/3knxQzh
Oral cancers are among the 15 most common cancers worldwide. Oral cancer incl. cancers of the lip, other parts of the mouth and the oropharynx.
Oral cancer is more common in men and in older people and varies strongly by socio-economic condition bit.ly/3knxQzh
Other lesser known oral diseases such as noma, a severe gangrenous disease that mostly affects children aged 2-6 years living in conditions of extreme poverty, and clefts of the face and mouth have significant health, social and economic impacts in some regions.
New WHO guide on mobile technologies for oral health provides comprehensive instructions on how to promote, build and monitor effective oral health interventions delivered through mobile technologies bit.ly/3knxQzh
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The WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines provide clear evidence of the damage #AirPollution inflicts on health, at even lower concentrations than previously understood. The guidelines recommend 🆕 air quality levels by reducing levels of 🔑 air pollutants.
"There is nothing more essential for life than air.
And yet because of #airpollution, the simple act of breathing contributes to 7 million deaths a year.
Almost everyone around the world is exposed to unhealthy levels of air pollution"-@DrTedros
"Inhaling dirty air increases the risk of:
-respiratory diseases like pneumonia, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
-severe #COVID19.
It’s also a major cause of other noncommunicable diseases like ischaemic heart disease, stroke, and cancers"-@DrTedros#AirPollution
.@DrTedros and @WHOEMRO's Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari concluded their visit to Kabul. #Afghanistan’s health system is on the brink of collapse. Unless urgent action is taken, the country faces an imminent humanitarian catastrophe 👉 bit.ly/3nUKLee#StayAndDeliver
@DrTedros@WHOEMRO@WHOAfghanistan@UN_News_Centre@UNNewsArabic Cuts in donor support to #Afghanistan’s health project Sehetmandi have left thousands of health facilities without funding for medical supplies & salaries for health staff. With reduced operations, health providers are forced to make hard decisions on who to save & who to let die
A timely and accurate diagnosis is 🗝️ to providing better care for people with #dementia. Yet, many people around the world don't have access to diagnostic services.
👥 Carers of people with #dementia also need support.
WHO's iSupport for dementia is a free skills and knowledge training that teaches family members and friends how to better support someone with dementia.
"As you know, WHO’s global targets are to support every country to vaccinate at least 40% of its population by the end of this year, and 70% of the world’s population by the middle of next year"-@DrTedros#VaccinEquity
@DrTedros "So far just 2 countries in Africa have reached the 40% target, the lowest of any region. That’s not because African countries don’t have the capacity or experience to roll out #COVID19 vaccines. It’s because they've been left behind by the rest of the 🌍"-@DrTedros#VaccinEquity
@DrTedros "Access to essential health services for millions of people in #Afghanistan – especially women and girls – is likely to reduce sharply because of a pause in donor funding to the country’s largest health project, Sehatmandi"-@DrTedros
@DrTedros "This project is the backbone of #Afghanistan’s health system, supporting more than 2,300 health facilities. This pause in funding could result in a worst-case scenario of more than 90% of these clinics and hospitals shutting their doors"-@DrTedros