2022-11-17-世界卫生组织-Oral_Health_Lebanon_2022_country_profile_2页_663kb

Summary of Lebanon Oral Health Country Profile

Oral Disease Burden

Lebanon experiences a high prevalence of oral diseases based on 2019 data. Untreated dental caries is widespread: 43.8% among children aged 1-9 years, 34.9% among people 5+ years old. Severe periodontal disease affects 16.7% of those aged 15+. Unoccupied dentition is reported in 10.0% of individuals over 20 years. Lip and oral cavity cancer incidence in 2020 showed 32 cases in females and 52 in males, with an age-standardized rate of 1.1 per 100,000 population.

Risk Factors

Key risk factors include elevated sugar consumption (108.7 g per capita daily), high tobacco use (38.4% among 15+ years), and alcohol consumption (1.5 L pure alcohol/year for 15+ years). These factors are major contributors to oral disease burdens.

Health System Response

The National Health System in Lebanon lacks essential resources. No national oral health policy or strategy is in place. There is no tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. Oral health screening for early detection is unavailable, and basic restorative dental procedures for decay are not accessible in primary care. Human resources include approximately 7001 dentists, but coverage for oral health interventions in health financing schemes is limited to 50% of the population, with none of the standard curative or advanced care integrated into benefit packages.

Economic Impact

Oral diseases incur significant economic costs, with total dental healthcare expenditure estimated at $105 million and productivity losses of $183 million in 2019. Affordability of fluoride toothpaste is relatively low, requiring only about 0.5 labor days to purchase an annual supply.