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MSF joins noma survivors in celebrating inclusion in WHO neglected tropical diseases list
MSF joins noma survivors in celebrating inclusion in WHO neglected tropical diseases list
By: Michael Mike
Three years into its campaign to have noma recognised as a see tropical disease (NTD), international medical organisation Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) welcomes the decision by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), to include noma in the WHO’s official list of NTDs.
Following a meeting in Geneva on 12 October 2023, the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group for Neglected Tropical Diseases (STAG-NTD) concluded that noma fits all the criteria for inclusion on the WHO’s official list. The group shared this recommendation with the WHO director-general, who has now ratified it.
“We welcome the WHO director-general’s decision, which confirms what MSF and the medical community have insisted on for years: that noma is a neglected tropical disease and deserves all the attention and resources that this implies,” says Mark Sherlock, MSF health programmes manager. “We hope that this decision will shine a spotlight on the disease, facilitating the integration of noma prevention and treatment activities into existing public health programmes, and encouraging the allocation of much-needed resources to help tackle the disease.”
Noma is a completely preventable disease and is easy to treat if addressed in time. Untreated, it destroys the skin and bones of the face in just a few weeks, leading to death for around 90 per cent of those infected. The 10 per cent who survive face a future of pain, disfigurement, and social stigma. The disease most commonly affects children who are malnourished or whose immune systems are otherwise compromised.
The lead sponsor country for the request to have noma recognised as an NTD is Nigeria. In January 2023, the Nigerian Ministry of Health submitted a package to the WHO which included an official request letter, letters of endorsement from 31 countries, and a dossier of evidence demonstrating that noma fits the criteria for inclusion. MSF supported Nigeria in providing the medical evidence, based on years of research, and drawing on MSF’s experience treating survivors of noma, in the hope that NTD listing will bring increased attention, earlier diagnosis and stronger research.
MSF has supported the Nigerian Ministry of Health’s Sokoto noma hospital, in northwest Nigeria, since 2014, where its teams provide reconstructive surgery, nutritional support, mental health support and outreach activities. Since 2014, MSF’s surgical teams in Sokoto have carried out 1,203 surgeries on 837 patients.

“Inclusion in the WHO’s list of NTDs is an important step, but not the final one,” says Sherlock. “We plan to shift towards mobilising resources and strategic alliances within the global health community to facilitate programming and research to raise awareness of noma, reduce mortality and improve the patients and survivors’ life conditions.”
MSF plans to focus on research, expanding its collaboration with academic institutes around the world to discover more about the causes of noma. Another key step will be to integrate noma surveillance systems into MSF’s medical work. “In endemic countries, MSF plans to introduce screening for noma into existing MSF programmes, such as malnutrition screening and vaccination campaigns, with the aim of early detection and prompt treatment,” says Sherlock.
Finally, MSF will continue its advocacy efforts around noma. Its three-year campaign has received strong support from survivors of the disease, who have contributed their voices to get across the simple but important message: that noma is a preventable and treatable disease which should no longer exist.
MSF joins noma survivors in celebrating inclusion in WHO neglected tropical diseases list
News
State Actors Grumble Over Operational Allowances Within the Hadin Kai Theatre.
State Actors Grumble Over Operational Allowances Within the Hadin Kai Theatre.
By: Bodunrin Kayode
There is a quiet grumble within the ranks of the Joint Security team in the Hadin Kai theatre with an allegation that some forward operational bases are paid discriminatory allowances.
Some sources within the non military rankings who spoke with this reporter claim that their military colleagues in some forward operational bases (FOB) are actually paid higher than the rest of them by the pay masters who are supposed to release these funds.
This has actually led to a silent outcry by some of the security personnel within the ranks of the Hadin Kai theatre who have decried what they described as the unnecessary disparity between their operational allowances and that of the military.
“There has been some underground grumbling within the ranks of the uniformed personnel in the Hadin Kai theatre over allowances and I am talking about the para military and the police who are in the team in this very sector one.
” From our investigation, it has never happened before and that makes it strange and we believe it is not known to the theatre commander (TC) who we all know as a just man who wants all of us to be happy.
” And that is why we are passing this injustice through you people because you are equal partners in the battles we are fighting against our common enemy because we believe the wrong will be reversed as soon as he gets to hear.
“At our own FOB for now, I can say the drilling for crude oil has stopped but we are pinning the ground against the criminals. And I must tell you, the main challenges here is water we don’t have enough water and the food served is not that good.
“we have only been allocated two bags of water for one week in this hot weather and the allowance given is 31,000 naira while the military is 45,000 naira sir.
“So why is there a difference in the money while both of us are working in the same assignment. Before the allowance was N45,000 and was equal to that of the Army but now they have reduced non military to N31,000 and they expect us to pay returns of 5,000 inside the same N31,000” Said the angry operative.
Operatives of operation Hadin Kai are made up mostly of the entire military, Federal Police, immigration, customs, Civil defence, custodial service, vigilante and the civilian jtf.
In spite of all these collaboration among services which includes the state security services sometimes, the war has gone on for almost 17 years with no sign of a true, seize fire, table negotiations or a total end of the hostilities between the country and non state actors.
State Actors Grumble Over Operational Allowances Within the Hadin Kai Theatre.
News
Grumble within ranks in joint security team in Borno
Grumble within ranks in joint security team in Borno
By: Bodunrin Kayode
There is a quiet grumble within the ranks of the Joint Security team in the Hadin Kai theatre with an allegation that some forward operational bases are paid discriminatory allowances.
Some sources within the non military rankings who spoke with this reporter claim that their military colleagues in some forward operational bases (FOB) are actually paid higher than the rest of them by the pay masters who are supposed to release these funds.
This has actually led to a silent outcry by some of the security personnel within the ranks of the Hadin Kai theatre who have decried what they described as the unnecessary disparity between their operational allowances and that of the military.
“There has been some underground grumbling within the ranks of the uniformed personnel in the Hadin Kai theatre over allowances and I am talking about the para military and the police who are in the team in this very sector one.
” From our investigation, it has never happened before and that makes it strange and we believe it is not known to the theatre commander (TC) who we all know as a just man who wants all of us to be happy.
” And that is why we are passing this injustice through you people because you are equal partners in the battles we are fighting against our common enemy because we believe the wrong will be reversed as soon as he gets to hear.
“At our own FOB for now, I can say the drilling for crude oil has stopped but we are pinning the ground against the criminals. And I must tell you, the main challenges here is water we don’t have enough water and the food served is not that good.
“we have only been allocated two bags of water for one week in this hot weather and the allowance given is 31,000 naira while the military is 45,000 naira sir.
“So why is there a difference in the money while both of us are working in the same assignment. Before the allowance was N45,000 and was equal to that of the Army but now they have reduced non military to N31,000 and they expect us to pay returns of 5,000 inside the same N31,000” Said the angry operative.
Operatives of operation Hadin Kai are made up mostly of the entire military, Federal Police, immigration, customs, Civil defence, custodial service, vigilante and the civilian jtf.
In spite of all these collaboration among services which includes the state security services sometimes, the war has gone on for almost 17 years with no sign of a true, seize fire, table negotiations or a total end of the hostilities between the country and non state actors.
Grumble within ranks in joint security team in Borno
News
EU Commits €235 Million to Tackle Escalating Humanitarian Crises in West and Central Africa
EU Commits €235 Million to Tackle Escalating Humanitarian Crises in West and Central Africa
By: Michael Mike
The European Commission has unveiled a €235 million humanitarian aid package aimed at addressing the deepening crises across West and Central Africa, where conflict, hunger, displacement, and climate shocks continue to devastate millions of lives.
The funding will target the region’s most vulnerable populations, including those affected by armed conflicts, food insecurity, forced displacement, and communities cut off from essential services. A significant portion—€75 million—has been earmarked for the Central Sahel, widely regarded as the epicentre of the region’s instability.
Other allocations include more than €72 million for Chad, €33 million for Nigeria, €22 million for the Central African Republic, €16.6 million for Cameroon, €4.8 million for Mauritania, and over €6 million for coastal countries. An additional €6.4 million will support region-wide humanitarian initiatives.
Announcing the intervention, Hadja Lahbib, European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, described the situation as a convergence of multiple emergencies.
“West and Central Africa is facing a storm of humanitarian crises, driven by conflict, poverty, hunger, instability, and climate shocks,” she said, recalling firsthand encounters with displaced families during a visit to Chad.
According to Lahbib, the aid will provide critical relief, including food, clean water, healthcare, shelter, and access to education for children whose lives have been disrupted by violence and displacement.
The region’s humanitarian situation remains dire, with conflicts in the Central Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin continuing to spill across borders, intensifying instability in coastal nations and triggering widespread displacement. The ongoing crisis in Sudan has further strained resources in eastern Chad, while separate emergencies persist in north-western Nigeria, parts of Cameroon, and the Central African Republic.
The European Union reiterated its commitment to acting as a reliable humanitarian partner, emphasizing that the intervention is designed not only to save lives but also to restore dignity and hope for affected communities.
EU Commits €235 Million to Tackle Escalating Humanitarian Crises in West and Central Africa
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