(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Ministry of Interior (MoI) has joined with the Supreme Council of Health (SCH) and Primary Healthcare Centre (PHCC) to tackle and create awareness about oral health problems in the country.
The Medical Services Department of the ministry will work with healthcare providers in creating awareness about caries, especially in children.
"The department not only provides services to its staff but for their families, therefore we believe it is important that we join with the SCH and PHCC in creating more awareness about dental health problems," Lt. Ahmed Mohamed Al Yazeedi, Head, External Clinics at the department, said during the closing ceremony of sixth GCC Oral Health Week 2015.
"This is the first time the ministry has joined other stakeholders in such an initiative," he added.
Officials from the SCH, PHCC and dental science students at North Atlantic-Qatar (CNA-Q) were present. The week was held from March 25 to 31 to create a unified Gulf model to combat oral diseases in general and tooth decay in particular.
Every year, the last week of March is dedicated to raising awareness about dental diseases and how to prevent them among all sections of society and highlight chronic diseases such as diabetes to reduce dental-related ailments.
This year, the event was held under the theme 'Teeth Health and Beauty.' Many activities were held to raise awareness and promote oral health and dental hygiene among the public, especially schoolchildren.
Awareness programmes are being organised in collaboration with the SCH, PHCC, Hamad Medical Corporation and CNA-Q.
A new initiative of PHCC, 'Beautiful Smile' targets not only schoolchildren, but will begin educating pregnant women about the importance of oral health by providing them with instruction and information.
Starting at one year of age, children will be brought to Beautiful Smile clinics and provided with screening, early treatment and prevention methods.
Nurses in vaccination clinics are being trained to look for oral health issues in young children.
Oral health issues continue to be a significant cause of diseases in Qatar and the region.
According to recent data, Qatar has one of the highest number of dentists in the population ratio (1:1800), but it also has the highest prevalence of at least 85 percent caries in children.
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