Dodoma—Oral health remains a global concern, affecting approximately 3.7 billion people. Tanzania, like many African countries, had long faced persistent challenges in this area. While the prevalence of certain conditions, such as dental caries, was comparatively lower than in neighboring countries, periodontal disease remains widespread, impacting an estimated 57.4% of children and 62.8% of adults. These high rates are often linked to limited access to dental care. Strengthening prevention and treatment services was essential to improve oral health outcomes and enhance the overall population’s well-being.
Speaking on behalf of the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Health, Dr. Ahmad Makuwani, Director of Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health Services, during the 40th Scientific Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Tanzania Dental Association (TDA), in Dodoma, the Guest of Honour reaffirmed the Ministry’s dedication to expanding access to high-quality oral health care in Tanzania.
He said the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania has taken a major step toward improving oral health outcomes, with 17 billion Tanzanian shillings invested over the last three years to strengthen equipment, expand services, and bring specialized care closer to communities. Alluding to his statement, he reported that “This step has improved the quality of services and allowed specialist doctors to reach citizens through mobile clinics, which has contributed to lowering the risk of tooth extraction and other serious health problems”.
He also highlighted on the development of a new curriculum and the introduction of a degree-level program at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) through the Ministry of Education. This year, the first cohort of Oral and Dental Laboratory Technologists and Scientists has successfully enrolled.
These initiatives reflect the government’s commitment to keeping pace with scientific advancements and technological growth, aimed at improving oral and dental health services nationwide. Furthermore, the establishment of the East African Centre of Excellence for Oral Health in Tanzania underscores strong collaboration between the government and stakeholders, including the Tanzania Dental Association (TDA), to foster innovation and promote oral health. Tanzania has reached 42% coverage of oral health services, moving towards meeting the 45% target by 2030, which is quite an excellent progress.
In his keynote remarks, Dr. Alex Gasasira, the WHO Country Representative to Tanzania, commended the country’s leadership and vision. He said, WHO continues to work hand in hand with the Ministry of Health to advance oral health in Tanzania by providing technical guidance, building capacity, forming strategic partnerships, and advocating for oral health as part of the Noncommunicable Disease (NCD) and Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda. He said, the organization is working with the Ministry of Health to develop a National Oral Health Strategic Plan 2026-2031, aligned with the Global and Regional Strategies and the Sustainable Development Goal No. 3 on Health.
In ending his keynote, Dr. Gasasira called for bold actions by all Partners, to ensure prioritizing prevention through health promotion in schools, workplaces, and communities, integrating oral health into UHC benefit packages and the upcoming national health insurance scheme, and strengthening primary health care to include oral health services, whilst addressing the challenge of Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) to achieve better Oral Health care. He took note of the ongoing efforts to address workforce gaps through pre- and in-service training, and for the continued partnerships and domestic resources mobilization.
In this conference, themed Harnessing Technological Innovation To Advance Oral Health In Tanzania, the members of the Tanzania Diabetic Association, the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization and partners highlighted collective progress and renewed commitments to tackling oral diseases in the country through improved innovation and technology.