Universal Health Coverage
The team meeting Dr. Yuka Makino discussing oral health strategies.
3.9 billions people are affected by dental and oral related diseases worldwide. Oral health is less prioritized by health sectors compared to other diseases not only in low and middle income countries but also in affluent countries. Health insurance in many of the countries is not covered for dental and oral health related expenditure except for very specific population like children. In fact, people pay very high out of pocket for dental and oral health services which means health system is marginalized for poor people to get access of it in addition to inadequate knowledge about oral health hygiene and diseases. As WHO claims : Universal Health Coverage(UHC) is that all people and communities receive the quality services they need, and are protected from health threats, without suffering financial hardship. Therefore,effective policy and strategies for Dental and Oral health should be in place to achieve truly Universal Health Coverage in every nation.
