SPEECH BY YB DATO’ DR CHUA SOI LEK, MINISTER OF HEALTH MALAYSIA,
AT THE ASIA PACIFIC DENTAL CONGRESS 2005, PUTRA WORLD TRADE
CENTRE, KUALA LUMPUR, ON 26 MAY 2005 AT 6.00 PM
Dato’ Ismail Adam, Secretary-General, Ministry of Health Malaysia;
Datuk Dr. Hj. Mohd. Ismail Merican, Director General of Health Malaysia;
Dato’ Dr. Wan Mohammad Nasir bin Wan Othman,
Director of Oral Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia;
Dr. Heung-Ryul Yoon, President,
Federation Dentaire Internationale (World Dental Federation);
Dr. S. Nagarajan, President, Asia Pacific Dental Federation and
Organising Chairman of the 27th Asia Pacific Dental Congress;
Dr. Jeffrey Tsang, Immediate Past President, Asia Pacific Dental Federation;
Dr. Jeffery Annan, Secretary General, Asia Pacific Dental Federation;
Dr. Teo Choo Kum, President, Malaysian Dental Association;
Distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen.
1.
I am pleased to be here with you today at this august gathering of the 27th
Asia Pacific Dental Congress, with the theme “Rediscover the Art of Comprehensive
Oral Healthcare’. I would like to thank the Malaysian Dental Association and the
Organizing Committee for this invitation. Allow me to also extend a warm welcome to
all our foreign delegates - “Selamat Datang” to Malaysia.
2.
I am told that this is the third Asia Pacific Dental Congress that Malaysia has
had the pleasure of hosting, the first been in 1979 and the second in 1993. The
congress this year promises to be an even greater event, as it coincides with the
Asia Pacific Dental Federation’s 50th “golden anniversary”.
3.
I am pleased to note that many distinguished personalities and experts in the
various disciplines of dentistry are here in Kuala Lumpur to share their views and
knowledge. I understand that the audience at this Congress comprises not only
professionals but also dental auxiliaries, dental students and the dental industry.
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Considering the wide array of scientific and educational programmes, the concurrent
trade exhibition with more than 200 booths, and the diverse backgrounds of the
delegates, I am sure that there will be much stimulating and constructive
deliberations during this Congress.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
4.
In less than two centuries, dentistry has developed from a craft into a dynamic
profession. Indeed, based on its organisational strength, membership, expertise, and
contributions to society, dentistry is today clearly an important discipline of health
and healthcare for the people. Hence, your theme ‘Rediscovering The Art Of
Comprehensive Oral Healthcare’ is actually reinforcing the move away from a mere
concern for teeth and gums to the broader perspectives of achieving optimum oral
health. Optimum oral health here is best defined as “a standard of health, free from
active disease, that enables a person to eat, speak, socialise and carry out the
activities of daily living without pain, discomfort or embarrassment.” This is testimony
to the wider scope of dentistry in healthcare today. There is thus a need to approach
dentistry or oral health in its wider context of being intrinsically linked to general
health, and a greater need to address common risk factors of oral and general
diseases through integrated care and health education.
5.
Dentistry in Malaysia, as elsewhere, looks at the needs of its people in the
context of its own socio-cultural, political, and economic environment. Within the
Ministry of Health, oral healthcare started as a school dental service more than half a
century ago and has since expanded to encompass care for all Malaysians. Our oral
health programmes are now very much integrated programmes, comprising equal
emphasis on preventive and curative components. Expansion from primary care into
specialist care has seen the development of several oral health specialities such as
oral surgery, orthodontics, periodontics, paediatric dentistry and oral pathology or
oral medicine; the most recent being the development of specialities in restorative
dentistry and forensic odontology.
6.
This rapid development of oral health services in Malaysia has been
accompanied by the necessary expansion in infrastructure. While the private sector
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is mainly based in the dense urban areas, there is a strong network of decentralised,
public oral healthcare facilities spanning urban and rural areas. Public health
initiatives with strong government support have improved access to oral healthcare.
From the humble beginnings of 19 school dental clinics, there are now 1,873 dental
facilities of all types in the country. More than 8.3 million attendances are now
registered each year for our oral healthcare services.
7.
Moreover, since our independence in 1957, there has been an exponential
expansion in our dental outreach programmes through the use of mobile dental
clinics and teams. There are now 20 mobile dental clinics and 276 mobile dental
teams in the country. These have helped us greatly in achieving a coverage of 91%
for primary schools and 94% for primary school children. We have, thus, in our own
mould, managed to deliver services into corners of the country that would not
otherwise have been served.
8.
Strong public health concerns have led to country-specific community
initiatives that have greatly benefited our people. Malaysia has had the benefit of
almost 33 years of water fluoridation, with approximately 65% of the total population
receiving fluoridated water at the end of 2004. In schools, there is a comprehensive,
systematic and incremental oral healthcare programme - our strongest point. We
celebrate 55 years of having dental nurses, a country-specific initiative mooted in
1948 based on the New-Zealand model. This initiative has been so successful in the
school dental programme that it has led to spin-off models for dental auxiliary
training in other countries within the Western-Pacific Region.
9.
The strength of all these initiatives has translated into great improvements in
the oral health of Malaysians, especially among children. Presently, at age 12, a
child has, on average, less than two teeth affected by dental caries, whereas in 1970
an average child of that age has about 4 carious teeth. A national survey showed
that there had been an overall decline of 56.8% in dental caries experience among
12-years old and 41.7% among 16-year-olds from 1970 to 1997. Similar
improvements had also been seen in the oral health status of adults during the same
period. We view this great achievement in our oral health and healthcare system with
great pride.
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10.
I am also pleased to say that in tandem with the World Health Organisation’s
Oral Health Goals for 2020, the Malaysian dental fraternity had, at the beginning of
this millennium, formulated a National Oral Health Plan for 2010. The Plan
documents our oral health goals in four areas, namely dental caries, periodontal
disease, oral cancer and dental injuries. More specifically, the Plan endeavours to:
11.
i.
Reduce the prevalence of dental caries and tooth loss;
ii.
Reduce aesthetically unacceptable enamel defects;
iii.
Reduce periodontal (gum) disease;
iv.
Reduce deaths due to oral cancer; and
v.
Reduce dental injuries.
The Plan also outlines our strategies towards ensuring good oral health
outcomes for Malaysians. It is a plan specific to us, much in line with the current
aspirations of WHO that countries identify levels of disease or health within the
confines of their own country’s capacity and capabilities. In 2005, we are exactly at
the halfway mark towards 2010 and steps are being taken to review the goals and
strategies in terms of their relevance and achievements.
12.
As we move towards 2010, the future holds many exciting possibilities. While
maintaining primary healthcare as the thrust of oral healthcare, the Ministry will
consider a proposal to develop a centre of excellence for the oral health needs of
Malaysians, in line with current development in dental technology. This national oral
health centre, to be sited probably in the Klang Valley, can serve as a referral centre
where all oral health specialties will offer services in an integrated environment. This
will be particularly beneficial for patients who require multidisciplinary management,
such as patients with orofacial deformities who need corrective surgery, implants,
orthodontic treatment and other restorative works. The centre can be equipped with
a central laboratory facility for the fabrication of dental appliances and prosthesis;
and it can serve as an institution for clinical research in oral health as well as a
centre for continuing professional development of oral health personnel. In line with
this move, there are concurrent steps to strengthen core competencies in the various
dental specialty disciplines.
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Ladies and gentlemen,
13.
In this day and age, information and communication technology has afforded
us virtual access to an incredible amount and scope of knowledge. It is up to each
profession to maximise the myriad possibilities to nurture the continuing professional
development of its members in order to maintain the credibility of the profession. I
am confident that such a prestigious gathering as this will reinforce the credibility of
the oral health profession.
14.
I wish you a successful Congress. I am confident that the presence of a
significant number of eminent speakers and experienced practitioners will certainly
facilitate the attainment of the noble objectives of this congress. I am also optimistic
that your discussions and deliberations in this Congress will translate into better oral
health status, improvement of health and enhancement of the quality of life of the
people that you serve.
15.
On that note, ladies and gentlemen, I have pleasure in officially declaring
open your Asia Pacific Dental Congress 2005. Thank you.
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