The Ghana Health Service (GHS) and Unilever Ghana PLC have officially launched a collaboration aimed at promoting good oral health practices across the country. 

The launch took place at the GHS Headquarters at Pantang, bringing together officials from both institutions to strengthen efforts toward improving oral hygiene education and prevention.

Delivering the welcome address, Chief Dental Officer, Dr. Maxwell Adjei, highlighted the significance of the partnership in advancing oral health promotion in Ghana through the Pepsodent brand, noting that oral diseases, particularly dental caries remain the most common yet preventable health conditions in the country.

Dr. Adjei explained that the collaboration will focus on training about 5,000 health workers across the 16 regions to promote daily oral hygiene, support school and community education,facilitate early detection and referral of oral health conditions. 

In a keynote address, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, described the collaboration as timely and aligned with the Service’s mandate of promoting preventive healthcare.

He acknowledged Unilever’s long-standing partnership with the Ghana Health Service and commended the company for its continued commitment to improving oral health in the country.

Dr. Akoriyea noted that oral diseases remain the most prevalent health conditions globally, affecting about 3.5 billion people. In Ghana, findings from the 2023 WHO STEPS Survey revealed significant disparities, with about 84 percent of the population having never visited a dentist, particularly in deprived regions.

He added that approximately 95 percent of Ghanaians have experienced some form of discomfort from gum disease or toothache, while tooth extractions among children aged five to seventeen have increased by 21.6 percent.

“These conditions could have been prevented through early identification, timely care, appropriate referrals and oral health education,” he stated.

The Director-General further explained that oral health shares common risk factors with non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancers, making it an important component of Ghana’s broader NCD prevention and Universal Health Coverage agenda.

He indicated that oral health will be integrated into ongoing health facility renovations, training programmes and human resource development initiatives to improve access to quality oral health services.

Dr. Akoriyea described the collaboration with Unilever as a practical and forward-looking initiative that emphasizes prevention, health education, and task-sharing through the involvement of non-oral health professionals.

Managing Director of Unilever Ghana PLC, Mr. Chriswuff Caeser, in his remarks emphasized the company’s long-standing commitment to improving oral health in Ghana, noting that for more than 25 years, Unilever has consistently invested in educating Ghanaians on the importance of good oral hygiene through school programmes, community outreaches, dental screenings  and partnerships with hospitals and health professionals.

These initiatives, he said, have helped reach thousands of children, parents and communities with the simple message that good oral health begins with daily habits.

Through the partnership, between 5,000 and 10,000 frontline health personnels are expected to be trained to promote preventive oral care, support early identification of oral health challenges and reinforce healthy oral hygiene habits among individuals and families.

He also noted that the partnership will strengthen the impact of the “Do the 2” challenge, a national campaign encouraging Ghanaians to brush their teeth twice daily, with special emphasis on night brushing as the most effective way to prevent cavities.

So far, a pilot training activity has been conducted in the Volta and Oti Regions demonstrating the potential

impact of the partnership.

Source: GHS