a preventable but frequently fatal childhood illness known as ‘the face of poverty’
Noma, a disfiguring disease that is fatal in 90% of cases without treatment, is the first disease to be added to the list since 2017 and joins 20 conditions that affect more than 1 billion people living in impoverished communities
Noma shows first as a sore on the gums and rapidly destroys facial tissue and bone
The Nigerian government asked for noma to be added to the list and submitted a dossier of evidence to the WHO in January
Neglected tropical diseases are caused by a variety of pathogens and are judged “neglected” when they are highly stigmatised
attract limited resources and mostly affect remote populations
Malnourished children aged between two and six and living in extreme poverty are most at risk of noma
which is also known as cancrum oris or gangrenous stomatitis
If they make it to a health facility and survive
they can be left with severe facial disfigurements
Noma, often described as “the face of poverty”, is preventable. When a child has enough food and clean water, the disease is unable to thrive.
WHO’s recognition has been hailed as “a great achievement” by survivors, healthcare professionals and advocates, who have been campaigning for years.
Read moreFidel Strub, who had the disease as a child in Burkina Faso, said the move could lead to more funding for research. There is no data on the global number of cases. Some estimates put it at 30,000-40,000 a year
The WHO estimated in 1998 there may be up to 140,000 cases a year
but knowing that we have saved many millions of children from this terrible disease will give me some kind of peace of mind,” said Strub
WHO director general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said: “By classifying noma as a neglected tropical disease
we are shining a light on a condition that has afflicted marginalised communities for centuries
We are committed to working with affected countries and communities to address the drivers of noma
the director of the International Society for Neglected Tropical Diseases
said: “This immense step of recognition at the WHO will be a great boost to advocacy and hopefully also trigger a virtuous circle of more research and investment”
She added: “Any marginal gain across any sector or intervention can have a massive impact for those who are affected by – or who survive – noma.”
While inclusion on the list will bring attention to noma
a cosmetic surgeon at Noma Children hospital in Sokoto
He said an increase in the number of patients “may initially” overwhelm the health sector
More surgeons were needed as surgery to correct the damage done by noma required multiple specialists
“Funding to train specialists will be a problem,” Adetunji said
But he added: “The beauty of it is if early detection is practised before the disease develops
it will help patients and health workers.”
The unprecedented voluntary decision on September 29
2022 by the 14 prisoners came about after sensitization
Under a United States Agency for International Development-funded COVID-19 prevention and control project
Fighting the Coronavirus pandemic in Cameroon’s prisons - for the most part - presents major challenges
Such as the lack of space to practise physical distancing
As well as congestion and the inevitable resultant filthy living conditions
contribute to stalling efforts by prison authorities
the government and its partners to checkmate new COVID-19 infections and the spread of the disease
vaccination of prison inmates - just like for most categories of people - is strongly encouraged
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(Business in Cameroon) - The Mission for the Development and Management of Industrial Zones in Cameroon (Magzi)
a government-owned entity overseeing industrial land
has assigned two zones in the Eastern region exclusively for local wood processing in the forestry sector
as revealed in the 2022 report on the state of public enterprises and establishments published by the Technical Commission for the Rehabilitation of Public and Parastatal Sector Enterprises (CTR)
these sites are located in Doumé-Bonis (104 hectares) and Mandjo Kano (120 hectares)
This Magzi move aligns with the Cameroonian government's commitment to promoting local wood processing and falls within the context of a long-planned ban on log exports in the CEMAC zone
a measure currently postponed indefinitely
the establishment of local wood processing units in Doume-Bonis and Mandjo Kano "is likely to generate 55,000 direct jobs
with a positive impact on the country's budgetary revenues."
Cameroon has been actively encouraging the second and third transformation of its wood industry to add more value
This commitment is reflected in fiscal and customs measures aimed at promoting local wood processing and discouraging the export of unprocessed or minimally processed wood
the Cameroonian government progressively increased the log export duty from 17.5% to 75%
representing a relative taxation increase of 428.6%
in the circulars related to the preparation of the 2023 and 2024 budgets
President Paul Biya explicitly instructs the government to "prioritize locally manufactured furniture in public procurement" instead of imported furniture
The 2024 budget introduces a 25% excise duty on imports of wooden structures
aiming to raise the cost of imports and encourage the purchase of locally manufactured wooden furniture
To facilitate the establishment of industrial carpentry in Cameroon
the 2023 budget of the State of Cameroon grants exemptions from taxes on equipment used in wood processing
These safeguard and promotion measures for the local forestry industry are eagerly anticipated for their impact
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Statistics from Doume Health District in the East Region show that greater awareness and the offer of motorbike ambulances by UNFPA have enabled more rural women to be promptly transported to health facilities for safe delivery
According to the last Cameroon Demographic and Health Survey and the 2014 Multi-indicator Cluster Survey Statistics
about 7,000 women die in the country due to pregnancy complications or during delivery
While neonatal mortality (the death rate of babies in the first 28 days of life) was 28 deaths per 1,000 live births
with the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund
UNICEF and the United Nations Population Fund
the project is funded by the Islamic Development Bank
It covers 34 health districts in the Far North
East and South Regions - the most vulnerable in the country
which comprises three administrative subdivisions in Upper Nyong Division (Doume
The health district counts 132 communities and a population of 55,000
Two years into the implementation of the project in Doume Health District
says a 100 per cent increase was recently recorded in vaccination and antenatal clinic attendance
This followed sensitisation campaigns for people to continue to patronise orthodox health services – despite the Coronavirus pandemic
The awareness campaigns were led by Multitask Community Health Workers and volunteers of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Civic Education
the number of births in health facilities in Doume Health District shot up from 25 per cent two years ago to 55 per cent
and this happened at home where she gave birth
there were three newborn deaths – two in hospital and one at home
The ones who died in hospital were brought in late
we recorded between 15-28 declared deaths of children and 5-6 maternal deaths a year,” the District Medical Officer notes with a feeling of “work well done!”
The project has succeeded in curbing preterm and low birth weight deaths in the East Region by about 50 per cent in two years
but insufficient equipment is hampering further success
“Improving access and quality of new-born care in 5 health districts of the East Region from 2018-2020” is still underway
Funded by the Korea National UNICEF Committee and implemented by the East Regional Delegation of Public Health and the Cameroon Kangaroo Foundation
the project also received technical and financial assistance from UNICEF Cameroon
KMC project covered about 5,000 children in Abong-Mbang
Batouri and Garoua Boulai Health Districts
Batouri and Garoua Boulai District Hospitals; Catholic Integrated Health Centre
Bertoua Regional Hospital and the Protestant Hospital
Though evaluation is still going on to determine the full impact of the project
“If preterm and low birth weight children before the project were dying at the rate of say
This is because a great majority of parents continue to follow KMC instructions after leaving hospital,” Ottop explains
In some of the 7 health facilities involved in the project
there have been no preterm and low birth weight deaths in the past two years
some women do not honour KMC appointments in hospital because of lack of means and sometimes public transport
but most decisions concerning the child are taken by the father
the decision to take the child to hospital or accept kangaroo mother care must be approved by the husband before the wife agrees,” Ottop explains
Mbororo tribes people consider preterm babies a curse
“Talking them out of such a belief is not easy
but we keep sensitising by passing through their traditional and religious leaders
Sensitisation is continuous,” she assures.