Oral Health Status and Quality of Life for Adolescents and Adults with HIV in Ghana: A Fogarty Fellowship Study

Dr. Olive Asafu-Adjaye BDS, MPH is a dental surgeon and public health practitioner from Ghana. She is currently a Northern Pacific Global Health NIH Fogarty fellow with the University of Minnesota's Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility. Her research interests lie in the intersection of oral health, infectious diseases, and health economics.

HIV itself and the use of robust ART increases the risk of dental caries and periodontal diseases, which are poorly-recognized non-communicable diseases in Ghana and across Africa. Access to oral healthcare in Ghana and other African countries is hindered by shortages of healthcare professionals, private healthcare models, under-resourced public services, and inadequate financial coverage. Untreated oral disease can cause pain, infections, tooth loss, missed work or school, and even death. Social factors like social class, age, and gender influence how PLHIV perceive oral health’s impact on their quality of life. 

The Fogarty Global Health Fellowship is a prestigious training program funded by the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Fogarty International Center that offers a year of mentored research training to postdoctoral trainees and doctoral students.