FG Launches National Oral Health Strategic Plan 2026–2030, Targets Elimination of Noma
…Integrates Oral Healthcare into Primary Healthcare, Approves ₦70bn Five-Year Implementation Plan
The Federal Government has launched the National Oral Health Strategic Plan 2026–2030, aimed at improving access to oral healthcare services, strengthening preventive measures and eliminating Noma as a public health problem in Nigeria.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, announced this on Monday, November 9, 2026, during the commemoration of National Noma Day and National Oral Health Day at Reiz Continental Hotel, Abuja.
Salako said the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and underscores the government’s commitment to making oral healthcare an essential component of Universal Health Coverage.
He described Noma as a preventable but devastating disease that causes severe facial disfigurement, disability and death, particularly among malnourished children.
The minister expressed concern over Nigeria’s high burden of the disease, especially in the North-West and North-East, noting that its recognition as a Neglected Tropical Disease by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2023 marked an important milestone in the global campaign against it.
He disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Health had integrated Noma surveillance into the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) system to strengthen early detection and referral.
According to him, frontline healthcare workers, traditional healers and traditional birth attendants have also been trained across 19 states to identify early signs of Noma and other oral diseases.
Highlighting the challenges in the country’s oral healthcare sector, Salako revealed 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 added that Nigeria currently has approximately one dentist for every 38,000 people, compared with the WHO-recommended ratio of one dentist to 7,500 people.
To address the situation, the minister said the government was strengthening the integration of oral health services into Primary Healthcare through the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) and Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF).
He also announced 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.
The newly launched strategic plan, estimated to cost approximately ₦70 billion over five years, provides a framework for improving oral health through preventive services, school-based programmes, access to fluoride toothpaste, sugar-reduction initiatives and integration of oral healthcare into maternal and child health, nutrition and non-communicable disease programmes.
The plan also prioritises the training and equitable distribution of oral health professionals, including dental therapists and dental surgery technicians, alongside improved primary healthcare infrastructure and referral systems across the 774 local government areas.
Salako urged state and local governments to domesticate and implement the plan, while calling on development partners, including WHO, UNICEF and the FDI World Dental Federation, to sustain their support.
He commended Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Noma Aid Nigeria Initiative, Noma Children’s Hospital, Sokoto, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders for their contributions to the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of Noma patients.
The minister reaffirmed the government’s determination to ensure that no Nigerian child suffers preventable death or permanent disfigurement from Noma.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollom S. mni, represented by her Senior Technical Assistant, Dr. Dogara Okara, reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to strengthening oral healthcare as part of efforts to achieve universal health coverage.
She identified capacity building for frontline health workers as a major strategy, explaining that community health workers and primary healthcare personnel would be equipped with the skills to identify oral diseases, provide basic health education, promote prevention and facilitate timely referrals.
She stressed that successful implementation of the plan would require sustained collaboration among government institutions, development partners, professional associations, private organisations, academic institutions and communities.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Senator Ipalibo Harry-Banigo, reaffirmed the National Assembly’s commitment to strengthening primary healthcare and integrating oral health services into routine healthcare delivery.
She identified the Noma Children’s Hospital in Sokoto, the Intercountry Centre in Jos and the ongoing retrofitting of dental centres across federal university teaching hospitals as critical components of Nigeria’s response to the disease.
Harry-Banigo disclosed that legislative measures were being pursued to institutionalise routine oral health screenings, early diagnosis of dental infections and specialised training.
In his goodwill message, the Country Representative of Médecins Sans Frontières, Dr. Aldikhari Ahmed, commended the Federal Government for efforts to integrate Noma into primary healthcare guidelines and disease surveillance systems.
He disclosed that MSF’s collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and the Sokoto State Ministry of Health had facilitated more than 1,759 major reconstructive surgeries for 1,174 patients through 35 surgical missions at the Noma Children’s Hospital.
According to him, 114 surgeries were performed on 96 patients in 2026, while 28 Nigerian surgeons and 14 anaesthetists received specialised training through the partnership.
The WHO Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr. Pavel Ursu, represented by Dr. Victor, said Noma primarily affects malnourished children between the ages of two and six, particularly those living in impoverished communities.
He emphasised that early detection and prompt treatment could prevent the devastating consequences of the disease.
Similarly, Dr. Adebimpe Adebiyi mni, paid tribute to the late Mama Ute Winkler-Stumpf, founder of Hilfsaktion Noma, for her contributions to the treatment and rehabilitation of children affected by the disease.
She recalled the organisation’s collaboration with WHO and Nigerian authorities in establishing critical treatment facilities, including the Noma Centre in Abuja, where many children have benefited from free reconstructive surgeries.
Adebiyi urged stakeholders to move beyond isolated medical interventions and prioritise sustainable healthcare systems, prevention, early diagnosis and community awareness.
