KOTA KINABALU: Sabah will commit to water fluoridation as part of its health policy, to be implemented at administrative level.
This comes after data showing 63.3% of 12-year-olds in Sabah suffer from dental caries, the highest rate in the country and more than double the national average.
"This is more than a health issue – it's about equity and quality of life. Water fluoridation is a proven, cost-effective solution," said dentist Datuk Dr Roland Chia, who is also the Chief Minister's political secretary, during the 13th Borneo Congress and Trade Exhibition on Saturday (May 3).
The fluoridation programme was halted in Sabah 1989 over supervision issues. In 2011, an attempt was made to revive it backed by RM2.5mil in federal funding but it failed to take off.
Dr Chia did not state when implementation would begin but said technical discussions are underway.
Currently, only 11 of Sabah's 84 water treatment plants are equipped with fluoride feeders, covering just 3.7% of the population. Major towns such as Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau still receive non-fluoridated water.
A special task force has been formed under the Joint Action Committee for Health Development in Sabah to oversee the rollout co-chaired by federal Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam and Community Development Minister Datuk James Ratib.
According to Sabah Health Department deputy director Dr Thaddius Herman Maling, the state is also facing a shortage of dental professionals with only 306 government dentists at 44 public and 213 private clinics, translating to a dentist-to-population ratio of 1:4,754.
"The issue is not just numbers. Many out-of-state dentists leave after two years, which disrupts continuity of care. We urgently need more Sabah-born dentists," he said.
To address this, Dr Chia said the state fully supports Universiti Malaysia Sabah's plan to establish a dentistry programme.
"Once we have a dental school, we can train and retain our own professionals. This is about equity and long-term resilience," said Dr Chia.
