Nigeria is plugging into global health governance with the case for the declaration of Noma disease as one of the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Nigeria is also arguing for more global stakeholders to engage in the campaigns and enlightenment at the grassroots level against the disease.
Nicolas Ella, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Senegal launched the country’s advocacy at an awareness campaign mounted by global health governance actor – Médecins Sans Frontières -in Dakar, Senegal June 20th, 2023. Ella said at the occasion that “Having watched the video, ‘Restoring Dignity’ and listened to the panel of discussants, I believe we are all on the same wavelength to say that Noma destroys the dignity of the human body. This fatal disease is particularly prevalent among children in sub-Saharan Africa. This accounts for Nigeria’s interest in combating the causes of the disease”.
According to the Ambassador, there are no programs from WHO and no funding or collaboration with WHO at the moment even as Nigeria and African countries need more hands.
Disclosing how Nigeria has treated more than 6,000 children at the Sokoto Noma Hospital, Ambassador Ella points out the difficulty for some persons to easily recognize Noma which takes only a short time to imperil the victims. The statistics, according to him, indicates that out of every 10 children affected, only one child makes it to the hospital.
He explained how commendable are the efforts of Médecins Sans Frontières in the circumstance, particularly what he calls MSF’s giant initiative in sensitizing the public on the implications of this tropical disease and on measures for the eradication as well as drawing support from organizations for the inclusion of Noma in WHO list of NTD.
The diplomat said in his remarks at the occasion that the Nigerian Ministry of Health has made considerable efforts to create awareness, to integrate Noma into its surveillance system and equally added it to the school curricula. The desire to see that this tropical disease is completely eradicated made Nigeria take the initiative to commemorate annual national Noma Day usually in November each year, said Ella.
The Nigerian Ministry of Health, he also said, has taken important strides at the Noma Hospital in Sokoto since 2014 towards creating awareness about the destructive effects of Noma. By his interpretation, Nigeria has been committed to the WHO conditions for NTD warrant inclusion of the disease into its list.
As far as the Nigerian diplomat is concerned, both individuals and African governments are worried over this tropical disease that is ravaging primarily children living in remote communities, the reality of such children having to live with the stigma and isolation this compels them to because of the associated physical deformity.
He notes how poverty, lack of balanced nutrition, lack of access to good drinking water, cases of drinking from same source of water with animals and rejection of immunization could be contributory factors but would also want to see more research to support and determine best treatment and control options. The diplomat argues the feasibility of public health strategy for the control and eradication of this disease.
