Doha, Qatar: The Oral Health Promotion and Prevention Section at the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) has issued the Annual Report of the Asnani School Oral Health Programme for the 2025–2026 academic year.
Manager of the Oral Health Promotion and Prevention Section, stated that the Asnani School Oral Health Programme Dr. Najat Alyafei continued its efforts throughout the 2025–2026 academic year to promote oral health and prevent dental diseases among kindergarten and primary school students across the State of Qatar. These efforts were delivered through oral health screening, health education, preventive interventions, and referrals for further treatment when required.
Dr. Al yafei explained that the findings of the programme’s annual report reflect the scale of its preventive and early detection activities. A total of 25,985 students were screened, including 3,055 Kindergarten students and 22,930 Primary school students. Screening coverage among students with positive parental consent reached 92%.
Prevention remained a central component of the programme, with 19,454 students receiving fluoride varnish. In addition, 5,813 students, representing 22% of those screened, were referred to Health Centers for further dental treatment in accordance with PHCC eligibility criteria. A total of 4,168 follow-up appointments were booked, representing 72% of referral orders.
Dr. Al Yafei emphasised that school oral health programmes should extend beyond disease detection to include early prevention, health education, and appropriate linkage of children requiring treatment to healthcare services.
The report findings showed that dental caries remains an important oral health challenge among children, particularly in the deciduous dentition. Caries prevalence in deciduous teeth was 66% among Kindergarten students and 76% among Primary school students, while 32% of Primary school students had caries experience in their permanent dentition.
Untreated dental caries also remained a significant concern. Untreated caries in deciduous teeth was identified in 60% of Kindergarten students and 66% of Primary school students, while 28% of Primary school students had untreated caries in their permanent dentition.
At the same time, the multi-year comparison demonstrated an encouraging trend in permanent dentition among Primary school students. Caries prevalence declined from 43% in 2022–2023 to 36% in 2023–2024, 35% in 2024–2025, and 32% in 2025–2026.
