Every second brings Nigerians closer to exercising their democratic right and shaping the future of our nation.
Exercise your democratic right responsibly, peacefully and lawfully.
An international medical humanitarian organisation, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), has called for urgent measures to protect vulnerable Nigerian children from noma, a devastating disease associated with malnutrition, poverty and inadequate access to healthcare.
The organisation warned that the condition could cause severe destruction of facial tissues and result in death if medical attention is delayed. It urged the Federal Government to strengthen primary healthcare services, improve childhood nutrition and expand access to early diagnosis and treatment.
Speaking to journalists in Sokoto, MSF Nursing Activity Manager, Samuel Ajamah, said children living in disadvantaged communities were particularly vulnerable because of poor nutrition, inadequate immunisation and limited access to medical facilities. He noted that a lack of awareness among some healthcare workers could also contribute to late diagnosis.
Noma often begins with gum inflammation or bleeding before progressing rapidly to destroy tissues around the mouth and face. According to Ajamah, recognising the early signs and providing prompt treatment could prevent severe complications. He called for the disease to be included in primary healthcare programmes, medical training and routine disease surveillance to improve detection and reporting.
MSF has supported the Noma Children’s Hospital in Sokoto since 2014, providing medical care, nutritional assistance, physiotherapy, psychological support and reconstructive surgery. The organisation disclosed that it performed 1,645 reconstructive surgeries on 1,078 patients between 2014 and 2025, stressing that improved public awareness, adequate nutrition and accessible healthcare were essential to preventing further cases.
