Volume 9 • 2022 • Issue 1

facilities (housed in Canada’s ten dental schools) have come together in collaboration with multiple federal departments and agencies, and with the support of international experts, to achieve that end. On the global stage, this initiative is taking place at an opportune moment following Canada’s support of the World Health Organization (WHO) Oral Health Resolution that was adopted in Summer 2021 during the 74th meeting of the World Health Assembly. This Resolution drove the development of the WHO Draft Global Strategy of Oral Health, for which Strategic Objective 5 is: Oral Health Information Systems — Enhance surveillance and information systems to provide timely and relevant feedback on oral health to decision-makers for evidence-based policy-making . Originally scheduled to commence data collection in early 2021, pandemic-related delays have led to a new projected start date for the CHMS Cycle 7 OHC in Summer 2022. Barring further pandemic-related delays, the projected availability dates are Summer 2024 for biobanked samples, and from Spring 2025 to late Fall 2025 for the various component datasets. It is projected that related analysis and knowledge creation funding will become available as each of the component datasets and biobank sample groups become available. It is anticipated that this new knowledge will lead to advances in clinical care, and provide further support to evidence-based policy and program development that will improve the oral health of all Canadians, and in particular our most at-risk populations. Details of the StatCan CHMS Cycle 7 are available at: statcan.gc.ca/en/survey/ household/5071 Participants in the OCDOC National Advisory Working Group meeting, October 2019. Access the full interview with Dr. James Taylor, Chief Dental Officer of Canada, on CDA Oasis at: bit.ly/3tzzq6g 25 Issue 1 | 2022 | News and Events