Integrating Oral Health into Primary Health Care: A Systematic Review of Oral Health Training in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Background

Globally, oral health training has shown positive influence on knowledge, competency and practices for both oral and non-oral health-care workers towards integration of oral health into primary health care (PHC). Sub-Saharan Africa has very divergent social-cultural-political-economic settings. Since healthcare is contextual, it is necessary to review oral health training programs in this region to establish if their formulation, implementation and evaluation are context-reliant.

Objective

To assess if oral health trainings aimed at integrating oral health into PHC in sub-Saharan Africa were context-reliant.

Methodology

The reviewers searched five electronic databases and WHO sites. Selection of publications was done using the PRISMA framework. Oral health training programs for oral and non-oral health-care workers in sub-Saharan Africa published in English language between year 2001 and 2020 were included in the study.

Findings

Only 4 (0.8%) of the original 512 publications for oral health-care workers and 9 (1.5%) of the 613 for non-oral health-care workers publications met the inclusion criteria. Countries established and/or increased number of dental schools, 1 university adopted competency-based curriculum and 2 introduced community rotations. Dental auxiliaries varied by cadre, training duration and scope of practice. Non-oral health-care workers training programs used diverse approaches like pre-service, workshops and printed materials. Target groups for the trainings varied from nurses, traditional healers, health promotion officers to community health volunteers. Evaluations were done mainly using pre-post or quasi-experimental studies. Outcomes of interest varied from level of knowledge, services provision, early childhood caries, oral health seeking behavior and oral hygiene practices.

Conclusion

Oral health training for integration of oral health into PHC in sub-Saharan Africa varied by targeted cadre, training methods and evaluation method and scope. It was thus context-reliant. More programs are necessary to accommodate other training approaches, evaluation methods and other health-care cadres in the region.

Keywords:

• oral health training
• integration
• primary healthcare
• sub-Saharan Africa

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in relation to this work.