As part of efforts to get rid of NOMA disease in the country, the Medicines Sans Frontieres has conducted nothing less than 1,380 major surgeries at its hospital in Sokoto State.
An official of the MSF, Mr Samuel Joseph, while speaking on Saturday during the NOMA Day 2023, also said more than 800 minor surgeries were carried out during the period.
He explained that the patients who were beneficiaries of the free surgery were from Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Kano and other northern states.
He said in 2023 alone, “We have done 166 major surgeries for NOMA patients who suffered facial disfigurement and we have done 87 minor surgeries, which includes wound.
“We have also done over 1,000 mental health consultations, group and individual counselling, and we have also done above 4,000 PFA cases this year among others.”
Earlier in his remarks, the Project Manager of Medicines Sans Frontieres also known as MSF in Sokoto State, John Canty, identifies the high rate of malnutrition as one of the major factors contributing to NOMA in the country.
Carty said, “NOMA is a neglected disease which affects those living in poverty. It is infectious but non-contagious, beginning as an inflammation of the gums.
“The infection destroys the bone and tissue very quickly, affecting the jaw, lips, cheeks, nose or eyes, depending on where the infection started. Up to 90% of people die of noma in the first two weeks if they don’t receive treatment in time.
“For those who survive, they are left with severe facial disfigurements, rendering it difficult to eat, speak, see or breathe. Survivors are also frequently stigmatised and left to face discrimination and social isolation. Up to 90% of people die of noma in the first two weeks if they don’t receive treatment in time.
“NOMA mostly affects children under six years old. Its cause is unknown but risk factors are malnutrition and poor oral hygiene, compounded by co-morbidities such as measles and malaria”
The project manager further said, “Noma is treatable and preventable; it should not exist. If detected and managed during the first weeks of the disease, with basic oral hygiene, antibiotics and wound dressing, a patient can recover from noma within a few weeks. However, preventing noma demands knowledge about the disease and its treatment.
“Moreover, good nutrition, oral hygiene access to healthcare and vaccinations against childhood diseases are all needed to prevent noma.
“In North West Nigeria, it can be very difficult for patients to seek treatment, and risk factors abound. For people living in isolated, impoverished places, reaching a clinic or a hospital can be impossible. People often rely upon traditional remedies in the first instance, but only antibiotics can stop the disease from spreading. Even when people can access a local clinic, they don’t have the money to pay for care or, once there, healthcare workers lack knowledge about noma.
He however said specialised care is currently available for NOMA in Nigeria at the Sokoto State Ministry of Health’s Noma hospital, “one of very few specialised NOMA hospitals in the world. MSF has been supporting this hospital since 2014 with specialized surgery.
“Combined with our medical activities, MSF has also campaigned alongside the Federal Republic of Nigeria to advocate for the inclusion of NOMA within the World Health Organisation neglected tropical diseases list.”
