An oral health module for use in noncommunicable disease risk factor surveys

The World Health Organization (WHO) Global strategy and action plan on oral health 2023-2030 emphasizes the need to strengthen oral health information systems, including surveillance, to support public health action. Objective 5 of the Global strategy and action plan on oral health 2023-2030 calls for reliable, timely and policy-relevant data to inform decision-making, promote accountability and monitor progress, in other words, surveillance of oral diseases. However, most countries face challenges in identifying and applying practical tools to generate such population-level data. Until recently, the WHO STEPwise approach to noncommunicable disease risk factor surveillance (STEPS) included an oral health module that relied on self-reported data on perceived oral health and oral health-seeking behaviour. However, this module is outdated. In response to growing global demand and policy needs, the new STEPS oral health module updated the self-reported questionnaire and added a clinical assessment component that can be done by oral or non-oral care workers after a short training. This paper presents the rationale, development process, structure and policy implications of the updated module. The paper provides an outline of the updated module and evidence to support this new approach as a practical, scalable and aligned solution to one of the most persistent gaps in noncommunicable disease surveillance. As countries move towards universal health coverage and integration of oral health into broader noncommunicable disease strategies, the updated WHO STEPS oral health module is a timely and necessary improvement in surveillance of noncommunicable diseases and their risk factors.