Oral Health Advocacy Initiative - OHAI in partnership with the Africa Initiative for Health Innovation, Advocacy, and Development (AIHIAD), is organizing a conference to engage strategic stakeholders in kick-starting the process of adopting NOMA (Cancrum oris) as one of the neglected tropical diseases in response to the World Health Assembly.

This first National NOMA conference is scheduled to be held on the 7th to 9th September 2016 at the Women Development Centre, Central District Abuja.

As contained in the statement issued by Dr. Ver-or Ngutor, Executive Director, Oral Health Advocacy Initiative, a non-governmental organization that is advancing the course of oral health delivery in Nigeria and Africa, he states that,

“…adoption of NOMA as a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) will stimulate better advocacy and research that will lead to development of better intervention and control strategies”

NOMA (Cancrum oris) is a gangrene that develops in the mouth and rapidly spreads to other parts of the face.noma - Cancrum Oris

The disease is almost found exclusively in conditions of poverty, poor living conditions, poor hygiene and malnutrition and if not treated leads to death in 70-90 percent cases, experts lamented.

Reports by World Health Organisation (WHO) confirms that Africa in particular, but not exclusively the sub-Saharan States Nigeria, Chad, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Sudan have the highest incidences of individuals affected by noma.
At present, Noma current status is a significant bottleneck to raising awareness and funding opportunities for its diagnosis, treatment, and control.

Today, noma remains a problem where high rates are rampant.

Source: http://www.ohaiafrica.org/noma-ohai-africa-campaign-disease/