Alexandria, VA, USA – The International Association for Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research (IADR) welcomes the adoption of the Political Declaration of the Fourth High-Level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) and the Promotion of Mental Health and Well-being. This declaration marks an important milestone in the global NCD response and provides a renewed mandate to accelerate action on the prevention and control of NCDs and the promotion of mental health and well-being by 2030.
IADR particularly celebrates the robust and explicit inclusion of oral health throughout the declaration. UN Member States recognize that ~3.7 billion people are living with oral diseases and that these conditions impose a major health and economic burden across the life course, causing pain, disability, and death, while being largely preventable and closely linked with other NCDs. The declaration further commits governments to scale up services to address the excessively high rates of oral health conditions, including through health promotion, prevention, early detection and treatment, and by integrating oral health into primary health care and universal health coverage.
This signals a clear political recognition that oral health is integral to overall health, healthy ageing, and sustainable development, and that oral diseases share many of the same social, commercial, and environmental determinants as other NCDs. Embedding oral health within actions on healthy diets, tobacco and alcohol control, primary health care, and financial protection strengthens the case for comprehensive policies that deliver multiple co-benefits for populations and health systems.
However, adoption of the declaration is only the beginning. IADR urges Member States to translate these commitments into concrete national action by:
- Integrating oral health within NCD and UHC strategies, benefit packages, and primary health care services;
- Investing in prevention-focused policies, including those that address sugar intake and other shared risk factors;
- Supporting high-quality research, surveillance, and innovation to monitor progress and guide implementation.
As the leading global body for dental, oral and craniofacial research, IADR stands ready to partner with Member States to help implement the declaration. By harnessing scientific evidence, fostering innovation, and centering equity, countries can fulfill their commitments and ensure that oral health is fully embedded in the global NCD agenda and in the right to health for all.
About IADR
The International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research is a nonprofit organization with a mission to drive dental, oral, and craniofacial research for health and well-being worldwide. IADR represents the individual scientists, clinician-scientists, dental professionals, and students based in academic, government, non-profit, and private-sector institutions who share our mission. Learn more at www.iadr.org.
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