A recently published article has proposed a unique strategy on oral health policy as a cost-effective strategy for African countries to achieve mercury-free dentistry.
Tagged “leapfrogging”, the strategy, according to the authors, could also be adopted by developed economies with underserved communities as well as developed economies who desire to save costs.
The unique, cost-effective strategy is to “leapfrog” the implementation of the children’s amendment to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (COP 4.2) in Africa and other developing economies.
According to the paper, titled “Update of Oral Health Policy to Implement the Children’s Amendment to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (COP 4.2)”, the cornerstones of the strategy include update of dental training institutions curricula, review of health insurance policies, integration of the principles of minimum intervention dentistry (MID) into oral health policies with an integration-prevention-promotion-partnerships (‘II-PPP’) framework with the WHO Basic Package for Oral Care.
“We hope this approach will enhance the speedy implementation of the children’s amendment particularly in Africa and other developing economies with poor infrastructure for managing waste,” submitted Professor Godwin Arotiba, the lead author.
The article was published in the Journal of Oral Health & Dental Science.
The founder of Dentists for a Mercury-Free Africa and the former Dean of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Professor Arotiba engaged with several Nigerian professors from his and three other top-notch universities, plus NGO leaders in Nigeria and Cameroun, to produce the landmark paper.
“We have been at this for so long now since 2014 to date. We need to leapfrog to mercury free 21st century dentistry by 2030 in Africa, Other developing economies and developed economies with underserved communities, plus developed economies who desire to save costs as well,” said Aritoba.
The paper concluded: “’Leapfrogging’ to mercury free 21st century dentistry is a feasible, desirable and achievable strategy to adopt for Africa and other developing economies with poor infrastructure for managing wastes.
“It can also be adopted by developed economies with underserved communities as well as developed economies who desire to save costs. The top priorities should include update of dental training institution’s curricula; retraining of general dental practitioners through workshops, conferences, and webinars; update of health insurance policy to favour mercury free restoratives and update of oral health policies with the ‘II-PPP-BPOC’ framework.
“Poverty should not be an excuse to continue the use of dental amalgam (45-55% mercury) in under-served communities and further compromise their well-being. This is a very important consideration in Sub-Saharan Africa where UNEP and WHO have reported a higher percentage (35%) of diseases traced to environmental pollution compared to 25% world-wide.”
The Minamata Convention on Mercury is an international treaty designed to protect human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds. It contains, in support of this objective, provisions that relate to the entire life cycle of mercury, including controls and reductions across a range of products, processes and industries where mercury is used, released or emitted.
The Children’s Amendment to protect children from the harm of mercury containing fillings entered into force on September 28, 2023, and became mandatory for Parties to the Minamata Convention.
Henceforth, all the 152 nations who are Parties to the treaty must take affirmative steps – ranging from recommendations to complete abolition – to end amalgam use for children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers.