THE representatives from some Asian countries are participating in the ongoing 10th Asian Conference of Oral Health Promotion for School Children (ACOHPSC) at the St Giles Wembley Hotel today.
Among them are delegates from Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, South Korea, Japan, Brunei, Mongolia, the Philippines and Malaysia.
This biennial conference (ACOHPSC), which is held for the very first in Malaysia, serves as a platform for the stakeholders to share ideas regarding the provision and promotion of oral healthcare to school children.
“In Malaysia, it has been found that 33% of school children have dental caries as reported in the national oral health survey done in 2017.
“According to the Adolescent Health National Survey done in the same year, it showed that 9% of Malaysian school children have missed classes or school due to toothache.
“For the younger age group, the national oral health survey done in 2015 among preschool children aged five years old, found that 71.3% have experienced caries,’’ Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said when he officiated the conference this morning.
Chow shared that the decreased prevalence of dental caries in a period of 10 years among preschool children in the country was very small, which is from 76.2% in 2005 to 71.3% in 2015.
“The national surveys also reported that the burden of periodontal diseases among schoolchildren has increased.
“The latest National Oral Health Survey of School Children conducted in 2017 showed that almost all the children were affected with unhealthy gums. This is really worrying as it can lead to mobile teeth and finally loss of teeth if left unchecked,’’ he added.
The chief minister urged everyone, be it an individual, a nation or collectively through international collaboration, to play their part in rectifying and improving the oral health of our school children.
“As many dental diseases can be avoided, I encourage governmental, health association and societal support and funding for prevention, detection and treatment programmes for dental conditions and diseases.
“We must find ways to work effectively as a team to protect the health of our population which is in tandem with the pledge to ensure that no one will be left behind.
“Board members and representatives from each country have been actively participating in developing declarations during your conferences for mutual understanding and harmonisation of standards in promoting oral health to our future generations.
“This will ultimately contribute towards greater quality of life among our regional population. Through integrated efforts, we will be able to achieve results faster,’’ Chow said.
Also present were state Agriculture, Agro-based Industries, Rural Development and Health Committee chairman Dr Afif Bahardin, president of Malaysian Dental Association of Dental Public Health Specialists and organising chairman of the 10th ACOHPSC Brigadier General Dr Zulkifli Zainal Abidin, director of Oral Health Care Division Dr Chit Jit Chie (representing Dr Doreyat Jemun, the principal director of Oral Health, Ministry of Malaysia) and head of Professional Oral Care, Asia Division, Colgate-Palmolive Company Dr Svapna Koppikar.
Story by Tanushalini Moroter
Pix by Noor Siti Nabilah Noorazis
Video by Alvie Cheng