UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs Oral Health Event

18 October 2018

In the context of the United Nations General Assembly 3rd High-level Meeting on NCDs, oral health was addressed during a special side event on 28 September 2018.

The event highlighted the importance and challenges of addressing oral diseases worldwide. During her keynote speech, Svetlana Axelrod, the WHO Assistant Director General for NCDs and Mental Health, said: “Good oral health is a crucial element of overall health and, as such, part of the human right to health. It is a striking fact that untreated tooth decay is among the most common noncommunicable diseases worldwide and almost entirely preventable. Stefan Listl was invited as an expert speaker and highlighted the substantial economic impacts of oral diseases and the need to implement more cost-effective strategies to better prevent and treat oral diseases. More than 3.5 billion people worldwide suffer from oral diseases and related psychological, social, and economic consequences. Despite the wide prevalence of oral diseases, oral health is rarely the focus of discussions on noncommunicable diseases. 

Stefan Listl is member of theme Healthcare improvement science.

photo participants of the event  © Courtesy of NYU Photo Bureau