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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE |
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Year : 2017 | Volume
: 15
| Issue : 1 | Page : 1 |
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President’s Message
MB Aswath Narayanan
President, IAPHD, Mathuram, Plot No. 161, Door No. 5, Murugu Nagar, 5th Street, Velachery, Chennai - 600 042, Tamil Nadu, India
Date of Web Publication | 14-Mar-2017 |
Correspondence Address: M B Aswath Narayanan President, IAPHD, Mathuram, Plot No. 161, Door No. 5, Murugu Nagar, 5th Street, Velachery, Chennai - 600 042, Tamil Nadu India
Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/jiaphd.jiaphd_27_17
How to cite this article: Aswath Narayanan M B. President’s Message. J Indian Assoc Public Health Dent 2017;15:1 |
Dear Members,
It is my proud privilege to address you as the President of one of the most vibrant and organized public health bodies in the world today. As I stand on the threshold of a paradigm shift in oral health care in this country, I am humbled by the distance we have travelled since 1993.
The aim of our association is to contribute towards the improvement of public dental health in India by offering a means for exchanging information and a platform for debate with the policymakers in an effort to prevent oral diseases and promote oral health.
India is the seventh largest country with the second largest population in the world. Oral health care for such a large mass spread over a huge geographical area is a planner’s nightmare come true. With increasing awareness of oral care, increasing levels of various oral diseases and a limited population of dental surgeons, is it possible to provide oral health care separately? The money, manpower and material required are mammoth. It, therefore, makes sense if the existing health care and educational facilities are utilized to deliver oral health care effectively.
According to the new National Oral Health Policy document by the Government of India, oral health care is included under Non-Communicable Diseases group in the National Health Mission, and funds have been allocated for the same. I request all the leaders in our states to utilize the programme for the improvement of oral health in their states. In addition, with the launch of the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) scheme by the National Health Mission, a dental surgeon is mandatory at each district in the District Early Intervention Centres (DEIC) centres to be established. This will go a long way in improving the job opportunities in the government sector. One may also consider the new Public Health Guidelines that have made it mandatory for the presence of a dental surgeon in the next level of health care delivery, rather than optional. All this information can be used to find new avenues for our members in the government sector.
Our post-graduates on completion of the course are interested and have been attuned towards senior lectureship in a dental institution, ignoring their responsibility to take a leadership role in the community for the improvement and upkeep of the oral health of the community. A thorough reorientation of the attitude needs to be brought in so that the tools of public health − epidemiology, survey, prevention, principles of administration, research methodology and behavioural sciences become the areas of interest for the post-graduates and each one grows in various fields to become world leaders in their areas of specialization.
In this one-year term as President, I have the following vision for our association:
- To conduct a National Oral Health Survey and Manpower Status Assessment.
- To create an accreditation mechanism for oral health care products.
- To enter into the Guinness book of records for tooth brushing on National Tooth Brushing Day and to enable it as an Information, education and communication (IEC) activity throughout the country (November 7th, 2017); and to also internationalize June 19th as National Public Health Dentistry day.
- To enter into an Memorandum of understanding (MOU) with 15 other national and international organizations/associations to enable dual memberships and to increase job opportunities.
- To create mandatory posts for dental surgeons in Primary Health Centre (PHCs) all over the country and at least have 25% of the posts filled by this year.
To make this vision a reality, I need all your support.
Together, let us make India better. Jai Hind.
Wishing you all everlasting health.
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