Published: August 2016

FDI in 2015 was characterized by optimism. Financially, we started off predicting a small surplus, which turned out to be larger than expected at the close of the year. By the year-end, we also had a comfortable level of reserves.

In terms of oral health promotion, World Oral Health Day (WOHD) is now firmly established in the calendar of important events for dental and other oral health practitioners worldwide. WOHD 2015 registered phenomenal growth over the previous two years, involving more countries, more member national dental associations (NDAs) and more dental student associations, with greater outreach than ever before.

Member support took a leap forward in 2015 with FDI’s re-invigorated Strategy for Africa, launched in 2012, and the first leadership workshop in February followed by a further exchange of information during the International Dental Exhibition Africa (IDEA) in Dakar, Senegal, in October.

At international level, FDI had the opportunity in 2015 to state the dental profession’s views at the World Health Organization’s Executive Board (WHO-EB) and World Health Assembly (WHO-WHA), and through correspondence with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The World Dental Congress continues to go from strength to strength. This is not so much due to the raw statistics: these, though excellent in 2015, vary according to location and circumstances.