The World Health Organisation (WHO) and Newcastle University recently held an event to celebrate 21 years of collaboration.

The event in London was held on 23 July 2018 to celebrate 21 years of Newcastle University School of Dental Sciences hosting the WHO Collaborating Centre for Nutrition and Oral Health.

The programme was put together in collaboration with the Global Oral Health Inequalities Research Network of the International Association of Dental Research (IADR) to address the UN Sustainable Development Goals through nutrition and oral health.

(Left to right) Professor Jim Mann, Professor Paula Moynihan, Dr Benoit Varenne, Professor Srinath Reddy

Paula Moynihan, Professor of Nutrition and Oral Health at Newcastle University, the Centre director, was joined at the event by key speakers including Professor Jim Mann (Professor of Human Nutrition and Medicine at the University of Otago), Dr Benoit Varenne (WHO Oral Health Programme Officer) and Professor Srinath Reddy (President of the Public Health Foundation of India and the World Heart Federation).

The event was held at BMA House in London and talks were followed by a panel discussion and a reception.

The WHO Collaborating Centre helps WHO to strengthen research capacity in the area of diet, nutrition and oral health and in implementing policy on non-communicable diseases common risk factor approaches, diet and nutrition, and oral health promotion.

The Centre was founded by Professor Andrew Rugg-Gunn, Emeritus Professor of Newcastle, in 1996 and is one of the longest standing collaborating centres in oral health.