Advancing Global Oral Health Research Through Community and Academic Partnerships: An Overview of the CORE Programme

The increasing burden of oral diseases in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and limited access to and affordability of oral care disproportionately impact disadvantaged groups. Oral health research has been dominated by professional academic perspectives with limited contribution from the communities involved. The aim of this commentary is to provide a broad overview of the aims and objectives, principles, values, and study design of the CORE programme.

The CORE (Community focused Oral health Research for Equity) programme is a multinational research initiative which aims to reduce oral health inequalities and improve access to dental services through collaborations between disadvantaged communities and academic and community partners in Brazil, Colombia, India and Kenya. Public health research interventions will be co-created and tested with local communities through a participatory action research approach and active community engagement and involvement. In addition, the programme aims to strengthen local oral health research capacity and advocacy.

The CORE programme is comprised of three elements: (1) Programme management and governance; (2) Research components focused on oral health inequalities, commercial determinants and oral health system reform; (3) Overarching components including (i) community engagement and involvement, (ii) training and capacity building, (iii) monitoring, evaluation and learning. Through a collaborative community-based approach, the CORE programme will undertake high-quality research in LMICs to inform future pro-equity and health system reform policies.