An Empty Scoping Review on the Financing of Necrotizing Periodontal Disease Prevention and Control in Africa: Implications for Global Oral Health Research, Policy, and Practice.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Necrotizing periodontal diseases (NPDs) represent a significant yet neglected burden in sub-Saharan Africa, often exacerbated by poverty, malnutrition, HIV, and limited access to oral healthcare. Despite their public health relevance, financing mechanisms supporting their prevention and control in African settings are limited. This scoping review aimed to identify and map existing literature on the financing of NPD prevention and control in Africa and to highlight implications for global oral health policy, research, and practice.

METHODS

This scoping review adhered to the step-by-step approach of Arksey and O'Malley and the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A comprehensive search was conducted across several databases, including PubMed, SCOPUS, AMED, CINAHL Ultimate, Dentistry and Oral Sciences Source, SPORTDiscus with Full Text, APA PsycArticles, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, Regional Business News, and APA PsycInfo. Keywords related to the financing of NPD prevention and control in Africa were used. Articles were imported into Rayyan for deduplication and screened through title and abstract review based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria.

RESULTS

A total of 63 studies were identified, and 25 duplicate records were removed on Rayyan. Following the deduplication process, the remaining 38 studies were subjected to title/abstract screening, and no study was selected for full-text review or subsequent analysis since the inclusion requirements were not fulfilled.

CONCLUSION

This empty scoping review provides valuable insights into the current state of global oral health financing by highlighting a critical gap in the literature related to the prevention and control of NPDs in Africa. The absence of eligible studies underscores the lack of focused research and policy attention on financing strategies for NPD-related interventions in low-resource settings. This gap presents a missed opportunity to inform effective, context-specific, and sustainable approaches to managing a neglected yet burdensome group of oral diseases.