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| Image: Patients suffering with Noma Disease. |
By Bashir Muhammad
The Federal Government, in collaboration with Noma Aid initiative In Nigeria (NANI), have commenced a four-day training of 108 health workers and other stakeholders on Noma disease in the state.
Nnenna Godwin of Dentistry Division, Department of Hospital Services, Federal Ministry of Health, made this known to newsmen at the commencement of the four-day exercise, in Dutse on Oct. 10.
Godwin said the gesture is aimed at educating and sensitising the participants on early detection, treatment and referral of the disease.
"We are here to educate and sensitize the people of Jigawa state on early detection, treatment and referral of Noma cases.
We've come here as we've done in other states because we want help our people," Godwin said.
She explained there is a center in Abuja managed by the NGO where such cases are treated free of charge.
The official added that, apart from free treatment, caregivers of patients are placed on trade of their choice to support them.
"So as a nurse, my own take is to advise or educate people on the need to take adequate nutrition as Noma cases are seen in children between the age of two and six.
"This is because if children are properly breasted as stipulated by WHO, that's is six month exclusive breastfeeding and then continue with complementary feeding for the next two years and even beyond, you will find that these children will hardly fall sick."
"And even if they do, recovery is very fast. So we want to catch them young by educating our people to encourage our mother's and support our women to breastfeed our children properly," the official advised.
In her remarks, NANI's Liaison Officer, Deborah Akuboh, said one Dental Therapists, Disease Notification Officers (DNOs), Traditional Healers, Community Mobilisation Officers (COMOs) from each of the 27 local government areas are targeted for the four-day training and sensitisation.
Akuboh noted that, the sensitisation is imperative as most people lack awareness about the Noma disease.
"NANI is an NGO that treats Noma, we help children that have Noma, we have a centre in Abuja established in 2022 inside National Hospital."
"And what we do basically is that when a children or adults come with Noma, we treat them, they remain in our facility and receive treatment free of charge."
"Some of them that need surgery can have up to three surgeries free of charge," Akuboh said.
"So we came to Jigawa because a lot of people don't know about, don't what Noma is, so we are here for sensitisation to let people know that there is a centre in Abuja so that when a Noma patients are found they should sent to us and we help take care of them until they're okay.
According to her, at the end of the exercise, it is expected that people of the state would become aware of the disease called Noma and it is not a hopeless case.
Dr. Mustapha Danjuma from Federal Ministry of Health, presented a paper on basic knowledge of Noma Disease's early identification, treatment and referral.
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| Dr. Mustapha Danjuma of Federal Ministry of Health making his presentation at the event. |
Danjuma in his paper identified poor hygiene, weakened immune system, measles and other viral infections, bacterial infection, as well as poverty and lack of access to healthcare as the major causes of the disease.
He gave painful swelling of chick and mouth, ulceration of the mouth and face, destruction of tissue and bone, disfigurement and disability, as well as fever, pain and foul odor as some of the symptoms of the disease.
The doctor added Noma patients usually die within 14 days if left unattended.
He therefore, urged people to take their personal and environmental hygiene with utmost care, particularly oral hygiene.
A participant, Idris Muhammad, said he has benefited a lot from the exercise, particularly how to easily identify children affected by the disease.
Muhammad also pledged to step down the training to those who were not opportune to participate in the training.
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