Michele Aerden - Vision For The World Dental Federation

Vision For The World Dental Federation

As a member of the Council, she was part of the Committee of developing countries and member of the Task Force “Strategy; From Mission to action”. During her period as President-Elect (2004–2005), Michèle centred her efforts with the review of the FDI governance and finances. Consequently, the new governance was adopted and the constitution adapted. Under her Presidency, the FDI made had a positive balance sheet for the first time in ten years.

During her presidency, Michèle Aerden decided to be focus on 3 issues:

1. Excellency
2. Medical Positioning of the dental profession
3. Ethics

1) Excellency
Excellency at all levels of the organization; the FDI has performed exceptionally well during her tenure. The Annual World Dental Congresses organized by the FDI were very successfully. Policy Statements were reviewed, improved and renewed. During the General Assembly of 2007, the FDI decided to implement the World Oral Health Day, which will be held on 12 September each year.

As President, Michèle Aerden gave a new positioning to the FDI President’s role. During each of her visits in nearly 60 countries, she consistently met the President of the country or the Prime Minister, and the Ministers of Health and sometimes Minister of Education in order to advocate for a strategy of Oral Health integrated into the strategy of General Health through prevention, planning and budget. “No general health without oral health !!” was her leitmotiv. She obtained tangible results during those visits and always received large media coverage.

2) Medical Positioning of the Profession
Michèle Aerden is convinced that it is necessary to increase the recognition of the dental profession as a fully medical profession. Twice she introduced a candidate of the dental field for the Nobel Prize in Medicine. In 2007, for the first time in 26 years, a resolution concerning Oral health was on the agenda of the WHO. The resolution was adopted on 23 May 2007 by the 191 countries member of the WHO and the Director general of WHO, Dr Chan, recognized the urgency to acknowledge oral diseases and their impact on the socio-economic development of a country.

3) Ethics
Ethics are the foundation to the success of the dental profession and organisations. Without ethics, there's no trust nor credibility. It's under her presidency that the FDI launched the first “Dental Ethics Manual”. The FDI also launched conferences tackling ethics and its role in international health NGOs.

Travelling around the globe with the message ‘No general health without oral health» allows Michèle Aerden to meet and collaborate with exceptional personalities beyond the dental world: Professor Muhammad Yunus (micro credits) Dr Bertrand Piccard (ballooner) Madame WU Yi, (vice-President China Republic of people) Michelle Bachelet (President of Chilli)etc..

Through her 20 years of activities with the FDI, and certainly in the last two years as President, the contribution of Michèle Aerden to improving the quality of life and well-being of hundred of millions of people is recognized by her peers with numerous awards and also by the FDI partners and the dental industry.