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Noma | Collections | MSF Science Portal
Noma

Noma

Noma, also known as cancrum oris, is a rapidly progressing life-threatening infection that affects the mouth and face. Noma is preventable and easy to treat if addressed in the early reversible stages, but most often deadly if untreated. The disease most commonly affects children who are chronically malnourished or whose immune systems are otherwise compromised. Noma affects an estimated 140,000 children annually. Noma was added to the WHO's list of Neglected Tropical Diseases in 2023. 

MSF is working to discover more about noma. This collection highlights MSF's mixed methods research on treatment outcomes, burden of disease, attitudes towards the disease and other aspects of noma.

For more information on MSF's work on noma, you can also visit https://noma.msf.org/.

Collection Content

Journal Article
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Research

Prospective outcomes of noma facial reconstructive surgery in Sokoto, Nigeria

Amirtharajah M, Olaleye M, Oluyide B, Lenglet A, Ariti C,  et al.
2024-07-26 • Facial Plastic Surgery & Aesthetic Medicine
2024-07-26 • Facial Plastic Surgery & Aesthetic Medicine

BACKGROUND

Noma is a gangrenous infection of the face that results in severe facial deformity, occurring primarily in malnourished and impoverished populations.

OBJ...

Journal Article
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Review

Noma, a neglected disease: prevention is better than cure

Farley ES, Amirtharajah M, Shaye DA
2022-07-05 • Current Opinion in Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery
2022-07-05 • Current Opinion in Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
There is a need for concerted effort to increase global awareness about noma (cancrum oris). This paper aims to summarize the recent literature on noma and provide ...
Journal Article
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Review

Noma (cancrum oris): A scoping literature review of a neglected disease (1843 to 2021)

Farley ES, Mehta UC, Srour ML, Lenglet AD
2021-12-14 • PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
2021-12-14 • PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
BACKGROUND
Noma (cancrum oris) is an ancient but neglected and poorly understood preventable disease, afflicting the most disenfranchised populations in the world. It is a devastatin...
Journal Article
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Commentary

Noma, a neglected disease: A viewpoint article

Farley ES, Ariti C, Amirtharajah M, Kamu C, Oluyide B,  et al.
2021-06-17 • PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
2021-06-17 • PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Journal Article
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Commentary

Model of care, Noma Children’s Hospital, northwest Nigeria

Isah S, Amirtharajah M, Farley ES, Adetunji AS, Samuel J,  et al.
2021-06-03 • Tropical Medicine and International Health
2021-06-03 • Tropical Medicine and International Health
The Nigerian Ministry of Health has been offering care for noma patients for many years at the Noma Children's Hospital (NCH) in Sokoto, northwest Nigeria, and Médecins Sans Frontières h...
Journal Article
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Case Report/Series

Outcomes at 18 mo of 37 noma (cancrum oris) cases surgically treated at the Noma Children's Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria

Farley ES, Amirtharajah M, Winters RD, Taiwo AO, Oyemakinde MJ,  et al.
2020-08-12 • Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
2020-08-12 • Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
BACKGROUND
Noma is a rapidly progressing infection of the oral cavity frequently resulting in severe facial disfigurement. We present a case series of noma patients surgically treate...
Journal Article
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Research

The prevalence of noma in northwest Nigeria

Farley ES, Oyemakinde MJ, Schuurmans J, Ariti C, Saleh F,  et al.
2020-04-14 • BMJ Global Health
2020-04-14 • BMJ Global Health
BACKGROUND
Noma, a rapidly progressing infection of the oral cavity, mainly affects children. The true burden is unknown. This study reports estimated noma prevalence in children in ...
Journal Article
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Research

Language and beliefs in relation to noma: a qualitative study, northwest Nigeria

Farley ES, Lenglet AD, Abubakar A, Bil K, Fotso A,  et al.
2020-01-23 • PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
2020-01-23 • PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
BACKGROUND
Noma is an orofacial gangrene that rapidly disintegrates the tissues of the face. Little is known about noma, as most patients live in underserved and inaccessible regions...
Journal Article
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Research

'I treat it but I don't know what this disease is': a qualitative study on noma (cancrum oris) and traditional healing in northwest Nigeria

Farley ES, Bala HM, Lenglet AD, Mehta UC, Abubakar N,  et al.
2020-01-01 • International Health
2020-01-01 • International Health
BACKGROUND
Noma, a neglected disease mostly affecting children, with a 90% mortality rate if untreated, is an orofacial gangrene that disintegrates the tissues of the face in <1 wk. ...
Journal Article
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Research

Risk factors for diagnosed noma in northwest Nigeria: A case-control study, 2017

Farley ES, Lenglet AD, Ariti C, Jiya NM, Adetunji AS,  et al.
2018-08-23 • PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
2018-08-23 • PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Noma (cancrum oris), a neglected tropical disease, rapidly disintegrates the hard and soft tissue of the face and leads to severe disfiguration and high mortality. The disease is poorly ...

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Diabetes in humanitarian settings 2022
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Adapting essential care programs to Covid-19 pandemic times
Adapting essential care programs to Covid-19 pandemic times
As the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic grips the world, one of its most devastating indirect effects is the disruption to medical services for preventing and treating other life-threatening diseases—especially in countries with already-fragile health systems. For MSF and other global health actors this means not only responding to Covid-19 directly but also assessing its impact on other essential care and then adapting programs so they can keep serving patients despite the enormous obstacles. In this Collection you will find a selection of published articles and conference content from this year’s MSF Scientific Days 2021 conference content, encompassing a range of approaches, settings and medical challenges—from malaria, TB and HIV/AIDS prevention and care to digital health promotion and sexual and reproductive health.
MSF logo
Advancing Research to Improve NTD Treatments in Children by Saschveen Singh

Dr. Saschveen Singh is a tropical infectious disease advisor for MSF. Read more of MSF's recent work on neglected tropical diseases in pediatric populations, and of Dr. Singh's work at MSF.

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