WHO reinforces oral disease surveillance with an updated NCD STEPS module

A new publication in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization presents the revised WHO oral health module for the STEPwise approach to noncommunicable disease risk factor surveillance (STEPS). The updated module introduces a more contemporary and practical approach to collecting population-level data on oral diseases, helping countries generate the evidence needed to inform policy and strengthen monitoring of oral health program and policy implementation.

The WHO STEPwise framework is a well-established and widely used standardized approach for collecting data on behavioural and biological risk factors of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including oral diseases. Recognizing the gap in reliable and policy-relevant oral health data, WHO revised the oral health module in 2024 to better support national surveillance systems and align with current global monitoring priorities.

“The updated STEPS Oral Health Module gives countries a practical way to integrate oral diseases into broader NCD surveillance. By generating data on oral diseases alongside other NCDs and their shared risk factors, it provides the evidence needed for better decision-making, more effective prevention strategies and stronger health systems,” said Dr Søren Brostrøm, Director, Department of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health, WHO.

A key innovation of the revised module is its feasibility for implementation within routine STEPS surveys. The streamlined questionnaire and simplified clinical assessment have been designed so that data collection can be carried out by trained survey staff who are not oral health specialists. By combining self-reported information with a simple clinical assessment in a representative sample, the module supports evidence-informed decision-making and contributes to stronger monitoring of oral diseases as part of broader noncommunicable disease surveillance systems. The updated module is the result of a collaborative effort involving international experts and WHO collaborating centres and reflects the latest evidence on oral disease measurement, surveillance and public health priorities.

Key features of the updated module include:

• an updated questionnaire focused on policy-relevant oral health and access-to-care indicators;
• a brief clinical assessment component that can be conducted by trained oral or non-oral health providers; and
• alignment with the WHO Global Oral Health Action Plan 2023–2030 monitoring framework and global burden of disease requirements.

The article is available through the Bulletin of the World Health Organization.