Federal government has made commitment to collaborate with other stakeholders in the health sector to eradicate noma, a gangrene that develops in the mouth and rapidly spreads to other parts of the face.
Noma (cancrum oris) is almost found exclusively in conditions of poverty, poor living conditions, poor hygiene and malnutrition and if not treated leads to death in 70-90 percent cases.
Speaking in Abuja at the 1st national stakeholders conference on noma disease organised by a non-govermental organisation, Oral Health Advocacy Initiative (OHAI), Isaac Adewole, minister of health called for promotion of awareness, poverty reduction, improved nutrition, promotion of exclusive breastfeeding in the first 6 months as well as timely immunization.
Represented by director, family health of the ministry, Adebiyi Adebimpe, the minister stressed that cultivating partnerships and building collaborations was critical in charting a course towards the eradication of noma in Nigeria.
Various speakers at the conference were unanimous that the disease has not gotten the deserved awareness.
Also speaking, Ver-or Ngutor, Executive Director of OHAI, explained that the conference was meant to galvanise efforts to ending noma in the country.
According to him, the conference was aimed at creating awareness on noma disease in Nigeria and its devastating effect on the patients, advocate for prioritisation of noma as a public health problem in Nigeria, and highlight the capacity gap in management, care and support of noma patient
Ngutor further stated that stakeholders will begin the process of adoption of noma as one of the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) by the world health organisation (WHO).
The call is in line with the 69th World Health Assembly approved resolution recognizing mycetoma as a neglected tropical disease.
The resolution also provides for a systematic, technically-driven process for evaluation and potential inclusion of additional diseases among the neglected tropical diseases of which noma fits into the outlined criteria.
Stakeholders at the conference were unanimous that the adoption of noma as an NTD will stimulate better advocacy and research that would lead to development of better intervention and control strategies.
They maintained that at present, noma current status is a significant bottleneck to raising awareness and funding opportunities for its diagnosis, treatment and control.
Today, noma remains a problem where high malnutrition rates are rampant. Reports by WHO confirms that Africa, in particular but not exclusively, the sub-Saharan states, Nigeria, Chad, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Sudan have the highest incidences of individuals affected by noma”, the statement noted.
