We were honoured to host a reception at the DDUH this month, where the World Health Organization launched their new policy Oral Health Equity For Persons With Disabilities. The event was attended by key stakeholders from the Health Service Executive, the Department of Health - Ireland, the Department of Education and Youth, Dean of University College Cork Dental School and Hospital, Prof Paul Brady, and Dean of Dean of Dental Affairs and Head of School, Prof Alison Dougall.
Over 1.3 billion people worldwide live with a disability, ranging from Intellectual Disability, autism, physical disability, severe mental health, or complex medical conditions. According to the National Disability Authority, 70% of working-age adults with a disability acquired it during their adult life, between the ages of 16 and 65, with 30% affected from birth or childhood.
Currently, in Ireland and abroad, disability means that people must wait longer for oral health services, often only receiving care when preventable problems have developed into emergencies or tooth loss. People may require an accessible building or specialist equipment, longer appointments, adapted communication, or close cooperation between dentists, carers and other healthcare professionals. Frequently, general dental practices lack the appropriate training, confidence and resources. Having poor oral health also leads to poorer outcomes in overall health.
This new policy brief from the WHO addresses these critical shortcomings. Speaking at the opening address, Dr Kaloyan Kamenov, Disability Lead at the WHO, highlighted how inclusion and equity must be designed into oral health systems, and people with disabilities should be active partners rather than simply recipients of care.
We are extremely proud of Prof Caoimhin Mac Giolla Phadraig and Dr Katrina Byrne, who were among the external contributors to the policy brief, which can be found here: Oral Health Equity For Persons With Disabilities
A special thank you to speakers Deputy Colm Burke, Dr Dympna Kavanagh, Ms Carolyn Akintola and Dr Denise Faulks.
Congratulations also to our prize winners, who were announced during the evening:
Dental Health Foundation student prize: Darshini Ramasubbu, for her research project entitled: Piloting the Modified Oral Status Survey Tool in a Nursing Home Setting.
June Nunn Service Innovation Award sponsored by DeCare Dental: Eleanor Greene, Elaine Byrne, Louise Madden, Carmel Carroll, Margaret Farrell , Christine Delany for their project Lámh in Dentistry: A service improvement initiative to support accessible communication for patients with disabilities.
