Development of human resources for community oral health in the National Institute of Public Health

Abstract

The Basic Matters (Secondary) of the Dental and Oral Health Promotion Plan regarding the promotion of dental and oral health in 2023 were formulated based on the results of the final evaluation of the Basic Matters (First Phase) in 2022. In the Dental and Oral Health Promotion Plan, important matters included in Part 5 of the Basic Matters (First Phase) were addressed separately, while Part 4, “Matters related to securing and developing human resources responsible for dental and oral health care” was newly established. These matters specified the need “for the Japanese government to work to enhance training that focuses on developing skills required for comprehensive planning and coordination in order to secure human resources and improve their quality, and for prefectural governments to cooperate with municipalities, health insurers, local dental and medical associations, and other relevant organizations to improve training based on the latest scientific knowledge.” The National Institute of Public Health of Japan has set itself the goal of developing the ability to formu- late plans tailored to local circumstances and to review plans based on evaluations, and is carrying out train- ing in planning, managing, and evaluating dental and oral health promotion for local government employees who are involved in local dental health care. This paper provides an overview of the current state of human development training at the National Institute of Public Health in relation to the development of human resources that are responsible for dental and oral health care, which received special attention in the Basic Matters, while taking into account past achievements.