By Matthew Otabe
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has urged the Federal Government, state governments and other health stakeholders to integrate noma prevention, diagnosis and treatment into Nigeria’s primary healthcare system to prevent avoidable deaths and lifelong disabilities among children.
The call comes as the Sokoto State Ministry of Health’s Noma Hospital, with support from MSF, begins its final surgical intervention phase for 2026, targeting 40 patients for reconstructive operations to repair facial damage caused by the disease.
MSF warned that the failure to incorporate noma into routine child health programmes continues to expose vulnerable children, particularly those in poor and underserved communities, to a disease that can be prevented and treated when detected early.
Noma is a non-contagious disease that rapidly destroys facial tissues and bones. If left untreated, it has a mortality rate of between 70 and 90 per cent.
Survivors often experience severe facial deformities that affect their ability to eat, speak and breathe, alongside psychological trauma, financial hardship and social stigma.
Although the World Health Organization classified noma as a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) in 2023, MSF said the recognition had yet to translate into adequate integration of the disease into Nigeria’s routine healthcare services.
The disease predominantly affects children under seven years old, especially those living in communities grappling with extreme poverty, malnutrition, poor oral hygiene, low immunisation coverage and limited access to medical care.
Speaking on the need to strengthen early detection, Samuel Ajamah, MSF Nursing Activity Manager at the Noma Hospital in Sokoto, said timely intervention could prevent deaths and spare children from permanent facial disfigurement.
“Noma is preventable and treatable. No child should suffer or die from a disease that can be detected early and effectively managed,” Ajamah said.
He explained that noma could be reversed in its early stages through basic antibiotics, proper wound care, nutritional rehabilitation and treatment of underlying health conditions.
Ajamah stressed that the global recognition of noma as a neglected tropical disease must be backed by practical measures to expand access to prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
“Recognition of noma as a Neglected Tropical Disease was an important step, but recognition alone is not enough. We now need practical investment in prevention, early diagnosis, and access to care,” he said.
Describing noma as a marker of inequality, he said tackling the disease required stronger primary healthcare services, improved nutrition, wider vaccination coverage and better access to essential health services.
MSF has partnered with the Sokoto Noma Hospital, one of the world’s leading specialised centres for the disease, since 2014.
Between 2014 and 2025, MSF surgical teams performed 1,645 reconstructive operations on 1,078 patients.
In 2025 alone, 1,034 patients received comprehensive care, including surgery, nutritional support, physiotherapy and mental health services.
During an earlier surgical intervention phase between April and May 2026, the teams also performed 55 procedures.
Despite these efforts, MSF expressed concern over limited awareness of noma in affected communities, noting that patients often visit several healthcare facilities without receiving the appropriate diagnosis or treatment.
Such delays, the organisation warned, could deny patients the opportunity to receive effective treatment before the disease causes extensive damage.
To close the gaps, Ajamah called for the integration of noma prevention, diagnosis and treatment into primary healthcare facilities across the country.
He also advocated expanded training and awareness programmes for frontline health workers, the inclusion of noma in national disease surveillance systems and the establishment of effective referral pathways linking rural communities to specialised treatment centres.
Other recommended measures include ensuring the consistent availability of essential medicines and nutritional support, alongside sustained public education campaigns to improve awareness and encourage early presentation at health facilities.
MSF maintained that strengthening primary healthcare and equipping frontline health workers to recognise noma could significantly improve early diagnosis, reduce preventable deaths and limit the devastating consequences of the disease.
The organisation called on government authorities and other stakeholders to translate the global recognition of noma into sustained action, warning that vulnerable children should not continue to suffer from a preventable and treatable disease because of poverty and gaps in healthcare delivery.
