WHO South-East (SE) Asia region has the highest burden of oral cancer, among all WHO regions. Oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs), such as leukoplakia, erythroplakia and oral submucous fibrosis carry a significant risk of progressing to oral cancer. While early detection of OPMD and intervention can prevent malignant transformation, preliminary inquiries among the countries in the WHO South-East Asia Region revealed that only a few countries follow protocols/guidelines for early diagnosis and interventions. Furthermore, several gaps exist in the evidence for effective early diagnosis and interventions
Against this background, the Dept. of Healthier Population and NCDs of the WHO South-East Asia Regional Office collaborated with the OPMD Hub of the Lady Hardinge Medical College of New Delhi and conducted a brainstorming session on interventions for early detection of OPMD and intervention to prevent malignant transformation. The session was conducted on 25 July 2025 and a total of 40 clinicians, researchers and academics with an interest in OPMD in the WHO South-East Asia regional countries participated in the session and shared information related to the current practices, successes and challenges in early detection of OPMD and interventions at country level.
This brainstorming session was designed as the first step to identify the needs for an evidence-based protocols/guidelines for early diagnosis of OPMD and intervention to prevent malignant transformation for the SE Asia region. The discussions also were on plans for collaborative research to generate evidence.
