The Federal Government has unveiled a N70bn National Oral Health Strategic Plan for 2026–2030 to improve access to dental care and eliminate Noma as a public health problem in Nigeria.
The five-year initiative is designed to strengthen preventive and curative oral healthcare services, improve early detection and treatment of Noma, train more dental professionals and integrate oral healthcare into primary healthcare facilities across the 774 local government areas.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, announced the plan in Abuja during the commemoration of National Noma Day and National Oral Health Day.
Salako described Noma as a preventable but devastating disease that primarily affects malnourished children and can cause severe facial disfigurement, disability and death. He expressed concern over its prevalence, particularly in the North-West and North-East.
He disclosed that more than 80 per cent of Nigerians had never visited a dentist, while two out of every three children were living with untreated dental caries. He also noted that Nigeria had approximately one dentist for every 38,000 people, compared with the World Health Organisation’s recommended ratio of one to 7,500.
According to the minister, the strategic plan will prioritise school-based oral health programmes, access to fluoride toothpaste, sugar reduction initiatives, improved dental infrastructure and the training and distribution of oral health professionals.
He added that the Federal Government had integrated Noma surveillance into its Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response system, while training frontline health workers in 19 states to identify early signs of the disease and refer affected persons for treatment.
The minister also disclosed that the Federal Executive Council had approved the National Centre for Oral Health Establishment Bill 2026 and forwarded it to the National Assembly for consideration.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Senator Ipalibo Harry-Banigo, pledged the National Assembly’s support for stronger primary healthcare services and routine oral health screenings.
She called for increased collaboration among federal and state governments, development partners and healthcare professionals to ensure effective implementation of the plan.
The Federal Government urged state and local governments to adopt the strategic plan, stressing that sustained funding, public awareness and early detection would be essential to eliminating Noma in Nigeria.
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