19th October 2024 New Delhi, Delhi, India Oral diseases are among the most prevalent diseases globally and have serious health and economic burdens, greatly reducing quality of life. The most prevalent and consequential oral diseases globally are dental caries (tooth decay) periodontal disease, tooth loss, and cancers of the lips and oral cavity.
In an endeavour to address, the oral health burden in India and strengthen health systems ensuring that high quality oral health services are available, affordable and accessible by all, Project CORE an initiative for Community Focused Oral Health Research for Equity was launched. This research collaboration between by the Public Health Foundation of India, in partnership with Jamia Millia Islamia University, Jan Swasthya Sewa Sansthan in collaboration with Queen Mary University of London, University College London and renowned oral health experts. The research team was awarded a prestigious grant by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, UK to help improve the health outcomes and re-orient health systems to effectively address the oral health burden.
The project was launched by Prof. Mohammad Shakeel, Honorable Vice Chancellor, Jamia Millia Islamia University and Prof. K Srinath Reddy, Founder (Past) President & Distinguished Professor of Public Health, Public Health Foundation of India, Prof. Richard Watt Professor & Chair of Dental Public Health, University College London, Prof. Manu Raj Mathur who is steering the project from PHFI, Ms. Mirai Chatterjee Director, Sewa Social Security, Prof Keya Sircar, Dean, Faculty of Dentistry, Jamia Millia Islamia, Prof Mahesh Verma, Vice Chancellor, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Prof. Abhishek Mehta from JMI and Prof. O P Kharbanda, ex-Head, Centre for Dental Education and Research, AIIMS New Delhi were other key partners of this initiative.
Speaking on the occasion: Prof Sanjay Zodpey, President, PHFI said, “Today marks an important milestone in our continued efforts through Project CORE – a pivotal initiative designed to address oral health inequities across India. This project is particularly special to us at PHFI as it aligns perfectly with our mission of improving population health outcomes. By collaborating with local communities, stakeholders, and international experts, we aim to reshape oral health research, integrate community perspectives, and advocate for systemic reforms.”
Professor Richard Watt, UCL, Chair of Dental Public Health, “Oral health is at a tipping point. Globally it is now recognised as a global health priority. The CORE programme is a new global health research initiative working across India, Brazil, Kenya and Colombia to investigate oral health inequalities. A key element of the programme is working with local communities to co-produce new solutions to improve oral health.”
Prof Manu Raj Mathur, QMUL and India lead for the project at PHFI said, “Empowering the next generation of oral health leaders, Project CORE is not just about building skills—it’s about transforming communities through innovative capacity building that bridges gaps, fosters equitable access to dental care for all and aims at creating next generation of leaders that can create sustainable oral health systems.”
Prof. K. Srinath Reddy, Distinguished Professor of Public Health, PHFI, “Good oral health is essential for every person on earth throughout life. Apart from teeth being directly linked to nutrition, gum disease triggers inflammation which affects many organs including heart, blood vessels and the brain. From caries to cancer, there are many oral diseases which should be prevented but also provided restorative care when they occur. Despite the widespread need for easily accessible and affordable oral health services, most countries have not included them in the universal health coverage programme. This affects vulnerable sections of the population who are deprived of needed care. The multi-country CORE study, which will map the unmet community needs for oral health services, will help to spotlight the extent of equity gaps in oral health services and catalyse the inclusion of essential oral health services in national programmes for universal health coverage.”
The CORE initiative aims to establish sustainable oral health research capacity in India by building partnerships between local and international institutions. It aims to reduce oral health inequalities and promoting better population oral health by developing scalable, evidence-based interventions that can be integrated into public health policies. To improve affordability and accessibility of oral health for marginalized populations by influencing policy reform for the integration of oral health services into broader health systems. There are Community focused and guided project pilots in the States of Delhi, Haryana, Gujarat, and Rajasthan being conducted to understand the patterns, mechanisms, and impacts of oral health inequalities while developing public health interventions to reduce these disparities
India is facing a significant burden of oral diseases, with over 70% of the population affected by oral diseases. These issues, particularly prevalent among disadvantaged communities, severely impact the quality of life and contribute to the overall burden on the healthcare system. Indians have a relatively high incidence of dental caries in permanent teeth compared to the entire South Asian population, with about a third of the Indian population experiencing caries that require dental treatment. Oral cancer accounts for over 30% of all cancers in the country, with age-adjusted rates being as high as 20 per 100,000 population. Despite being preventable, oral diseases continue to be under-addressed, leading to increased healthcare costs and worsening public health outcomes.