UAE Ministry of Health Launches Free Dental Screenings for KG1 Students

What Happened

• The Ministry of Health and Prevention (Mohap) has launched an oral and dental health screening project for Kindergarten 1 (KG1) students in public schools across the UAE [2].
• The initiative is a collaboration between the Ministry of Health and Prevention, the Ministry of Education, and Emirates Health Services (EHS) [1].
• The project aims to identify dental and oral health issues, such as tooth decay, gum disease, and other conditions, before children start primary school [2].
• Dr Hussain Al Rand, assistant undersecretary for the public health sector at Mohap, stated the project reflects a national focus on prevention and building healthy habits from preschool years [1, 2].
• The initiative aligns with the World Health Organisation’s oral health strategy for 2023-2030 [2].
• Dr Essam Al Zarooni, executive director of the Medical Services Sector at EHS, said the screenings through EHS health centres will help identify issues early and direct children needing further care to appropriate services [2].
• Tareq Al Hashimi, Assistant Undersecretary for the School Operations Sector in Dubai and the Northern Emirates at the Ministry of Education, noted that health is linked to a child’s readiness to learn [2].
• EHS plans to link these screenings with health awareness and follow-up care to support development [2].

Who Is Affected

• KG1 students enrolled in public schools across the UAE are the primary group for these screenings [2].
• Families of these students are involved, as officials noted families play a central role in monitoring health and encouraging daily habits [1, 2].
• The programme is designed to address conditions that may affect a child’s health, development, and ability to learn [1, 2].

What Students Should Do Next

• Families can take their children to government health centres operated by EHS for the examinations [1, 2].
• Alternatively, families may use private healthcare facilities for the dental screenings [1, 2].