The Federal Government has unveiled a five-year National Oral Health Strategic Plan requiring an estimated ₦70 billion investment to tackle oral diseases, improve access to dental care and strengthen efforts to eliminate Noma, a preventable disease that causes severe facial disfigurement and death, particularly among malnourished children.
Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Adekunle Salako, disclosed this in Abuja on Monday during the 2026 National Noma Day and National Oral Health Day, where he launched the National Oral Health Strategic Plan 2026–2030.
Salako expressed concern that more than 80 per cent of Nigerians had never visited a dentist, while two out of every three children suffered from untreated tooth decay.
He also revealed that Nigeria had approximately one dentist for every 38,000 people, compared with the World Health Organisation’s recommended ratio of one to 7,500.
He said the strategic plan would prioritise preventive care, access to fluoride toothpaste, school-based oral health programmes, sugar reduction, improved dental infrastructure and training of oral health professionals.
The minister added that the government would leverage the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) and Sector-Wide Approach to integrate dental services into primary healthcare and reduce out-of-pocket expenditure.
He further disclosed that the Federal Executive Council had approved the National Centre for Oral Health Establishment Bill 2026 and forwarded it to the National Assembly.
Speaking on Noma, Salako said Nigeria was among the countries with the highest burden of the disease, particularly in the North-West and North-East. He explained that the infection, which primarily affects malnourished and immunocompromised children, could rapidly progress from a gum infection to severe facial destruction and death if untreated.
He said the government had integrated Noma surveillance into the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response system and trained frontline healthcare workers, traditional healers and traditional birth attendants across 19 states to identify suspected cases and facilitate early referrals.
Also speaking, the Country Director of Noma Aid Nigeria Initiative and head of the Noma Centre at the National Hospital, Abuja, Dr Charles Ononiwu, revealed that the facility had performed 457 reconstructive surgeries since its establishment, including more than 200 in 2026.
He warned that an oral infection treatable for less than ₦3,000 could eventually require between ₦7 million and ₦10 million for facial reconstruction if neglected.
Ononiwu said the centre provided free treatment, including surgery, nutritional rehabilitation, psychological support, physiotherapy, education and vocational training for affected children and their families. He urged parents to seek immediate medical attention for children, particularly those aged two to six, who experience persistent mouth pain, unusual gum infections or difficulty opening their mouths.
Similarly, the Country Representative of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Dr Aldikhari Ahmed, called for increased funding, stronger community surveillance and routine Noma screening at primary healthcare facilities.
He disclosed that MSF’s collaboration with federal and Sokoto State health authorities had facilitated more than 1,759 reconstructive surgeries for 1,174 patients through 35 surgical missions since 2014.
Ahmed added that 114 surgeries were performed on 96 patients in 2026, while 28 Nigerian surgeons and 14 anaesthetists had received specialist training to strengthen local capacity.
He, however, warned that effective surveillance would require adequate funding, trained personnel and consistent reporting.
Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, Senator Ipalibo Harry-Banigo, pledged the National Assembly’s legislative and financial support, identifying the Noma Children’s Hospital in Sokoto, the Intercountry Centre in Jos and the ongoing retrofitting of dental centres in federal university teaching hospitals as important interventions.
She also disclosed that funding for the Basic Health Care Provision Fund had increased from one to two per cent to strengthen frontline healthcare services.
The World Health Organisation Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr Pavel Ursu, represented by Dr Victor, called for the integration of Noma prevention and treatment into routine primary healthcare, alongside improved surveillance, healthcare worker training and psychosocial support for survivors.
He noted that the disease predominantly affected malnourished children between two and six years, particularly those in impoverished communities.
