The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO) along with the Ministries of Health of 16 countries in the Region of the Americas have supported developed strategies to implement and evaluate salt fluoridation programs for the prevention of dental caries. These include assessment of salt industry's capacity to fluoridate salt, cost-benefit analysis of proposed programs and the legal mechanisms that would be needed to ensure program compliance. This shows the extent of inter-and-intra-national movement of salt. The objective of the overview is to present the "essential" of these programs, detailing the levels of support, activity and effect on the local salt industry. Utilizing data from the Region, the author presents a framework and protocol for regional or national program design, implementation and management of a micronutrient program involving the salt industry. It is believed that it can serve as a model for other micronutrient programs such as salt iodination, or yet to it thought of program using salt as a carrier.
Learning Objectives: The participant will be able to identify the key elements for implementing salt fluoridation and the implications of appropiate surveillance, including biological and chemical monitoring of salt fluoridation
Keywords: Oral Health, Oral Health Outcomes
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: none
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.