Mohamad Saad El Masri
University College London, London
Title: Process of establishing the academic and clinical aspect of SCD in the Arab World, particularly Lebanon: A promising challenge
Biography
Biography: Mohamad Saad El Masri
Abstract
The Arab region of the world is rapidly changing and advancing. There are striking differences from the developed world in terms of prevalence and type of diseases leading to various forms of disability. Furthermore, political challenges, financial constraints, limited healthcare systems, and negative attitudes and beliefs towards individuals with disability are all factors that can influence the provision of healthcare services for these individuals. These factors can additionally impact on access to oral healthcare, which is often not considered a priority.
Although approximately 15% of the population in the Arab states are estimated to be living with disability. Attitudes toward disability in this region have been found to be negative. There are few studies in the region with regards to the dental needs of individuals with disabilities. Dental education and training to provide oral health care for patients with disability in the Arab world are remarkably limited. Countries in the region should take advantage from the available evidence provided by the International Association for Disability and Oral Health (iADH) and the British Society for Disability and Oral Health (BSDH) and consider establishing SCD within the undergraduate curriculum.
The aims of the presentation are to review the impact of disability across the region, identify factors that may influence access to healthcare, review barriers in order to enable the imminent approach to address the provision of SCD, and outline the pathway that will enable the establishment of the Academic and Clinical Aspect of SCD in the Arab world, and particularly in Lebanon.