A study conducted by the Christian Health Association of Ghana [CHAG] indicates that 96 per cent of adults in Ghana between the ages of 34 and 44 are affected by gum diseases. 

But there are only 570 dentists in active service to meet the needs of the entire population. As of 2018, the Dentist-population ratio was estimated at 1:150,000. 

Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has acknowledged dental health remains critical in the total healthcare delivery system. 

He raised concerns at the inauguration of the Methodist Oral Health School Complex at Ankaase in the Afigya- Kwabre South District of the Ashanti Region.

The three million Ghana cedis facility was constructed by the Methodist Church with support from Rotary Clubs in Kumasi, Beilefeld-Waldhof, Germany and Rotary Club International.

The facility will provide one-stop dental and oral healthcare services, as well as serve as the first oral health nursing training school. The facility will also bridge the gap in the training of oral health professionals in the country. 

The Minister of Health, Dr Kwaku Agyemang Manu, in a statement read on behalf of the Vice-President, commended the Methodist Church for its pioneering role in quality health delivery in the country. 

He said government is working to expand infrastructure in the training of health professionals at all levels.

Chief Executive Officer of the Methodist Hospital at Ankaase, Joseph Atta Amankwwa, reiterated their commitment to improving healthcare delivery in the country. 

He said the new facility has modern equipment to train health professionals. 

The Executive Director of the Christian Health Association of Ghana[CHAG], Dr  Peter Yeboah, noted access to oral health care is essential to the promotion of the general health of the people. 

According to him, poor oral health awareness, coupled with limited infrastructure and trained professionals make access difficult for the majority of Ghanaians. 

The Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, Most Rev. Dr Paul Kwabena Boafo, said the provision of the facility was a consolidation of the partnership between the Church and the government to provide quality healthcare services to the people.