Sir, I applaud those courageous individuals who are working tirelessly in low and middle income countries as part of the humanitarian assistance programmes to help ease the plight of those in refugee camps. I have myself gleaned invaluable insights through working as a public health consultant, and seeing the extraordinary heroism, determination, stoicism and strength of staff working around the clock to serve patients with a wide range of general health issues and conditions. Many, even within the dental public health sector, are unaware of the inextricable relationship between systemic and oral health and the impacts of general diseases, such as blood disorders, diabetes, renal failure, obesity, infective endocarditis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, tuberculosis, etc. These diseases share even the same lifestyles, behaviours, social, political, economic and religious determinants of health, inflammatory pathways because the mouth is the gateway to the body. It is time to put an emphasis on dental education programmes that integrate topics such as democracy, social justice, the rule of law, gender equity, human rights, citizenship, cultural diversity, health literacy, community development and engagement, citizens' participation in health planning and decision-making processes and empowerment of women to take control of their own health and wellbeing issues and realising their rights to access health and social care services and the obstacles that prevent them from doing so and tackling their own determinants of health.

1. London