adminleft the country.
“All the toothpaste brands in the country are imported and their cost is high especially for the poor. We’ll continue negotiating with the Ministry of Finance to remove duty on these products to reduce the end price to consumers,” Dr Sibanda said.
He said presently, oral health is the leading non-communicable disease in the country yet there are little interventions to prevent related diseases.
Dr Sibanda was speaking ahead of the International Oral Health Week celebrations set for April 12 in Harare.
The International Oral Health Week is celebrated on March 20 every year.
This year’s commemorations are running under the theme: healthy teeth for a healthy life.
The Oral Health Week is set aside to encourage the improvement of oral and general health. It is als meant to support dental practitioners to provide safe and high quality professional oral care. It is also aimed at reducing the number of dental extractions through educating people about the dental services available.
“We believe the unmet need of treatment for oral health is very high in the country evidenced by the frequency of tooth extractions we do on a daily basis,” he said.
Online Reporter