Policy landscape analysis of oral health in Ethiopia

Introduction: oral health is a crucial yet frequently overlooked component of overall health. While global policies have made progress in reducing oral diseases, many developing countries, including Ethiopia, often do not adequately incorporate oral health into their health policy frameworks. This policy landscape review aimed to synthesize the existing policy documents for oral health in Ethiopia. Methods: the research employed a mixed-methods design; a desk review of policy documents and key informant interviews. Systematic searching retrieved relevant oral health policies from government websites and the Ministry of Health archives. The desk review used the Policy Triangle Framework for the analysis of the content, context, actors, and processes of currently operational policy documents. While key informant interviews explored challenges affecting oral health policymaking and implementation. Results: six policy documents were analyzed, and fourteen key informants were interviewed. Ethiopia lacks a comprehensive oral health policy. Oral health was not among the priorities in the health policy. Key gaps identified include: poor integration into broader policies, lack of stakeholder engagement, no dedicated structures in the Ministry of Health, and limited capacity for promotion. Conclusion: this review highlights the lack of a comprehensive oral health policy and poor integration with general health policies. The development of a national oral health policy could improve its alignment with primary care.