By Roland Ike
The Federal Government has urged relevant stakeholders in the health sector to adequately enlighten the populace especially rural dwellers, on the prevalence of the NOMA disease.
The disease also called cancrum oris or gangrenous stomatitis, affects malnourished children below six years and manifests mostly with oral and facial infections.
The Director, Dentistry Division, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Gloria Uzoigwe announced this in Abakalikii during a 5-Day training on early detection, treatment and referral on NOMA disease it organised with the NOMA Aid Nigeria Initiative (NANI).
Uzoigwe said the training was aimed at preparing relevant health personnel on ways of identifying and responding adequately to NOMA cases in the state.
“The federal government has evolved strategies to eradicate NOMA in all parts of the country to check the mortality resulting from the disease.
“The federal government has the duty of ensuring that NOMA patients are identified, adequately treated, rehabilitated and re-integrated into the society,” she said.
Uzoigwe said that data from the Noma treatment facility in Sokoto indicated that over 100 cases of the disease are reported monthly across the country.
“This includes cases from neighbouring countries such as Niger as the disease is predominant in the north western states of the country,”
Uzoigwe noted NOMA is treatable but that health workers have difficulties detecting it on patients.
“This is why we are taking enlightenment on the disease to states because early detection and treatment can prevent adverse consequences such as disfiguration of patients’ faces.
A Dentist with the Federal Ministry of Health Abuja, Dr Mustapha Abubakar who tutored participants at the training, said the disease has a hight mortality rate and manifests with reddish, bleeding and swollen gums.
“It can also manifest with mouth sores which necessitates regular examination of children’s mouth for early detection, treatment and referral to NOMA treatment centres.
He urged government at all levels to provide health amenities in the rural areas to ensure that citizens access easy, free and affordable health services.
“Inability to access medical care, non-access to immunisation, malaria, malnutrition among other factors can cause NOMA which makes provision of health facilities very important,”
The Ebonyi Commissioner for Health, Dr Moses Ekuma thanked the organisers of the training for enlightening the people especially health workers on the prevalence of the disease.
“Ekuma represented by the Director of Public Health in the ministry, Mr Hyacinth Ebenyi said the government will take the enlightenment to the grassroots to aid in identifying Noma victims,”
The National Coordinator, NOMA Aid Nigeria Initiative (NANI) and Head, NOMA Centre at the National Hospital Abuja, Dr. Charles Ononiwu advised the citizens to report promptly identified Noma cases to available health facilities.
“This is for onward referral to the centre as we have handled over 60 cases of NOMA including free surgeries while rehabilitating and empowering the patients.”
