No Child Should Die From Preventable Disease, Msf Says
Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders, has urged the Nigerian government to strengthen community-based surveillance, improve early detection and increase investment in noma prevention and treatment to reduce deaths and disabilities among children.
The call was made by Ahmed Aldikhari, Country Representative of MSF Nigeria’s Intersectional Country Office, in a goodwill message at the 2026 National Noma Day commemoration in Abuja.
Declaring that no child should die from a preventable ailment, Aldikhari stressed the importance of early identification, which he said could save lives and prevent devastating facial disfigurement, particularly among children.
Aldikhari commended the Federal Government, the Ministry of Health, the Nigeria Association of Noma Intervention, NANI, and other stakeholders for their efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s response to the disease.
He particularly welcomed progress towards integrating noma into primary healthcare guidelines and its inclusion in the Surveillance Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System, SORMAS, describing the developments as important steps towards improving disease identification, reporting and referral.
The MSF representative also congratulated the Ministry of Health on the launch of the National Oral Health Strategic Plan 2026–2031, saying it provides an opportunity to make noma prevention and treatment an integral part of Nigeria’s broader healthcare priorities.
He, however, emphasised that national commitments must translate into coordinated action across federal, state, local government and community levels.
Highlighting MSF’s longstanding partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health and the Sokoto State Ministry of Health at the Noma Children’s Hospital, Aldikhari said the organisation had supported comprehensive treatment for people affected by the disease since 2014.
The interventions include inpatient treatment for acute noma, major facial reconstructive surgeries, oral physiotherapy, nutritional support, community engagement, health promotion, and mental health and psychosocial services.
According to him, the partnership has facilitated more than 1,759 major reconstructive surgeries for 1,174 patients through 35 surgical missions over the past decade.
Aldikhari disclosed that in 2026 alone, MSF carried out 114 surgeries for 96 patients. Aldikhari also disclosed that 28 Nigerian surgeons and 14 anaesthetists had received training from international specialists, as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s capacity to provide quality treatment for noma patients.
Despite the progress, he warned that early detection must remain central to Nigeria’s response because noma can progress rapidly, causing severe tissue damage, facial disfigurement and potentially death when not identified and treated promptly.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has renewed its commitment to eliminating noma and expanding access to quality oral healthcare, with the launch of a six-year strategic plan aimed at strengthening prevention, early diagnosis and treatment across the country.
The National Oral Health Strategic Plan (2026–2031), unveiled by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, seeks to integrate oral healthcare into primary healthcare services, improve access for vulnerable populations and address the growing burden of oral diseases, particularly noma, which predominantly affects malnourished children in underserved communities.
Speaking at the commemoration of the 2026 Oral Health Week, National Noma Day and Scientific Conference on Monday in Abuja, themed ‘Integrating Noma into Primary Healthcare: From Comprehensive Management to Prevention’, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, described the initiative as a decisive shift from conventional curative dentistry to a prevention-driven approach.
Salako said the framework was developed through extensive consultations with the Nigerian Dental Association and other stakeholders, with emphasis on health promotion, early detection and expanded access to oral healthcare.
He noted that noma, a rapidly progressive and potentially fatal disease that destroys facial tissues, often begins as a simple gum infection but can cause devastating complications within days if not detected and treated promptly.
The Senate Committee on Health also pledged legislative and financial support for the nationwide campaign, stressing that noma was entirely preventable and treatable when detected early.
The committee, chaired by Senator Ipalibo Harry-Banigo, said the National Assembly was committed to strengthening primary healthcare services and ensuring that oral health became an integral component of routine healthcare delivery.
It disclosed that funding for the Basic Health Care Provision Fund had been increased from one to two per cent to strengthen frontline health services and community-level interventions.
The committee identified the Noma Children’s Hospital in Sokoto, the Intercountry Centre in Jos and the ongoing retrofitting of dental centres across federal university teaching hospitals as critical components of the national response.
