Free surgeries offer hope for children with noma in Nigeria
Summary and headline written by AI from the source article. How we work
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is providing free reconstructive surgeries to children in Nigeria suffering from noma, a severe and disfiguring disease. Ibrahim Dalhatu, now eight years old, received six operations at the Noma Children Hospital in Sokoto state after contracting the disease at age three.
Noma begins as gum inflammation in malnourished children and rapidly destroys soft tissues and bone in the face and mouth. While early treatment with antibiotics and nutrition can help, advanced cases require surgery.
The disease is classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a neglected tropical disease, receiving limited global funding despite its devastating impact. Recent data suggests over 50,000 cases occurred across 12 northern Nigerian states between 1999 and 2024, though the WHO has not updated its case numbers since 1998 when it estimated 140,000 cases yearly with a 90% fatality rate.
Experts link noma to extreme poverty and malnutrition, and the UN Human Rights Council considers the conditions that cause it a violation of children’s rights. MSF and medical officials report an increase in acute noma cases in northern Nigeria, linked to armed violence and economic hardship. The Noma Children Hospital in Sokoto treated over 500 children between 2023 and 2025, and many more await surgery.
Though Ibrahim has largely recovered, not all children receive timely treatment, and parents like Maryam Sabiu face stigma and heartbreak as they wait for their children to become eligible for operations.
