This disease eats away the facial bones, people of this age are most at risk

 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently added Noma disease to the list of Neglected Tropical Diseases. Noma disease is also known as Cancrum Oris or Gangrenous Stomatitis. The aim of this step is to increase awareness among people and intensify efforts to deal with serious infections.

This list includes diseases prevalent in tropical places like Asia, Australia, Africa, South America, Central America, Mexico and the Pacific Islands. This includes trachoma, leishmaniasis, yawning, snakebite, scabies and Chagas disease. The reason for the occurrence of these diseases is that the people living in these places do not have a proper way to dispose of clean drinking water.

What is Noma?

Noma is a serious disease occurring on the face and mouth. It starts as small ulcers. The name of this disease comes from a Greek word, which means to eat. Noma eats away the tissues and bones of the face and mouth. This disease progresses very rapidly. Death occurs in 90% of the cases. Generally this disease affects children between 2 to 6 years in tropical areas. It also affects people suffering from diseases like HIV and leukemia and those with low immunity.

Noma disease is non-contagious. It does not spread through touch or to people living near a person suffering from noma. According to a WHO report, this disease mostly occurs in poverty, malnutrition and dirty places.

Symptoms of Noma:- Fever, weight loss, bad breath are also symptoms of Noma disease. Apart from this, this disease starts with inflammation of gums caused by bacteria inside the mouth. In such a situation, if the swelling is not treated in time, then the bacteria starts spreading rapidly and starts eating the bones.

According to the report of UN HRCAC, people who survive this disease have to face many problems like closing their mouth, breathing, speaking etc.

Prevention and Treatment of Noma: Treatment of this disease is quite easy in the initial stage, like staying in a clean place, washing the mouth and taking proper nutrition. However, once it spreads, it cannot be eliminated even with the help of surgery.

Initiatives of Government of India towards Neglected Tropical Diseases:-

National Rabies Control Programme: To eliminate rabies in the country, the government has started the National Rabies Control Programme. Under this program, vaccination and free vaccines are given to stray dogs in government hospitals across the country.

National Policy on Treatment of Rare Diseases: This policy mostly focuses on identification and research on treatment of rare diseases and neglected tropical diseases.