The coming weeks will be exceptional for FDI: we will be ‘Celebrating healthy smiles’ on 20th March, World Oral Health Day. This year, it promises to be a huge event, wider in scope and activities than any year since its inception in 2008. Reports are coming in daily of new and exciting activities envisaged by national dental associations, local communities, students, governments and a variety of other interest groups and stakeholders. As of today, over 70 countries are planning on celebrating.
The bigger the event, the wider the participation, the more it will achieve its goal of raising awareness about oral health among families, communities as well as among health authorities and other agencies for social and economic development in low, middle and high income countries alike.
If you haven’t already decided on an activity, let me encourage you to do so: you will find all the information you need on how to organize an event at the World Oral Health Day website: www.worldoralhealthday.org. Logos are now available in 27 languages. Dentists, teachers and other professions can freely download the World Oral Health Day poster for display in dental practices and clinics, in schools and in other areas such as public transport or other places where displays are authorized.
Whatever you do, however big, however small, we would be interested in learning about it!
March will also be exceptional for women of the world. International Women’s Day takes place on the 8th of the month. The theme this year is “Equality for women is progress for all”. It reminds us of the crucial role that women play in one the crucial indicators for progress: public health.
And here I would like to salute the work of the FDI section ‘Women Dentists Worldwide” which regularly debates the special challenges that women face in their chosen career.
It also reminds us of women’s unique role as mothers and carers and the place they occupy in ensuring and promoting children’s health and good oral hygiene I hope that International Women’s Day and World Oral Health Day will reach and empower women during the course of March.
To see more on this and other World Oral Health News visit: http://www.fdiworldental.org/media/presidents-message/exceptional-weeks-ahead.aspx#sthash.sTvUgANh.dpuf
