The federal government has launched a N70 billion National Oral Health Strategic Plan 2026–2030 to expand access to oral healthcare, strengthen prevention and accelerate efforts to eliminate Noma as a public health problem in Nigeria.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, announced the plan in Abuja on Monday at the commemoration of National Noma Day and National Oral Health Day.
Mr Salako also disclosed that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had approved the National Centre for Oral Health Establishment Bill 2026 and transmitted it to the National Assembly, Ado Bako, assistant director, information and public relations, said in a statement.
Noma: preventable but devastating
Expressing concern over Nigeria’s burden of Noma, particularly in the North-West and North-East, the minister described the disease as preventable but devastating, causing severe facial disfigurement, disability and death, especially among malnourished children.
Noma, a rapidly progressing gangrenous disease of the mouth and face, primarily affects children aged two to six living in extreme poverty, poor hygiene and malnutrition.
He noted that over 80 per cent of Nigerians had never visited a dentist, while two out of every three children lived with untreated dental caries.
Nigeria has approximately one dentist for every 38,000 people, a ratio far below what is needed to meet the population’s oral health needs.
Surveillance, early detection
To address these gaps, he said the ministry has integrated Noma surveillance into the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) system.
It has also trained frontline health workers, traditional healers and traditional birth attendants across 19 states to identify suspected cases early.
The five-year Strategic Plan prioritises preventive and school-based programmes, integration of oral health into Primary Healthcare through the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) and Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), and training and equitable distribution of oral health personnel.
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Mr Salako called on state and local governments to domesticate the Plan and development partners to sustain their support.
Support
In her welcome remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom, reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to strengthening oral health within Primary Health Care, particularly through frontline capacity building for early detection and referral.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Ipalibo Harry-Banigo, pledged legislative support for routine oral health screening and stronger oversight of implementation.
Development partners, including Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Hilfsaktion Noma, commended the government’s efforts and reaffirmed their support for treatment, capacity building, survivor support and community awareness.
Declaring the Plan launched, Mr Salako reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment, under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, to eliminating Noma as a public health problem and expanding access to quality oral healthcare across Nigeria.
