As part of measures to tackle effects of malnutrition, especially among children, Sokoto State government has revealed plans to dedicate half of the 2024 budget allocation for the health ministry to tackle malnutrition.
The state governor, Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto, stated this in his remarks at this year’s NOMA day at Sokoto guest Inn on Saturday.
The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Idris Muhammad Gobir, said the available statistics upon resumption in office in the state shows Sokoto as one of the states with serious malnutrition cases in the country.
He however said his administration is working round the clock to change the trend, assuring that the next data when it is released will reflect the change.
He however commended the Sultanate council and the state traditional council as well as staffs across health facilities in the state for their continued support to tackle NOMA and malnutrition in the state.
Earlier in his remarks, the project manager of Medicines Sans Frontieres also known as MSF in Sokoto State, John Canty, identified high rate of malnutrition as one of the major factors contributing to NOMA in the country.
According to Carty, “Noma is a neglected disease which affects those living in poverty. It is infectious but non-contagious, beginning as an inflammation of the gums.
“The infection destroys the bone and tissue very quickly, affecting the jaw, lips, cheeks, nose or eyes, depending on where the infection started. Up to 90% of people die of noma in the first two weeks if they don’t receive treatment in time.
“For those who survive, they are left with severe facial disfigurements, rendering it difficult to eat, speak, see or breathe. Survivors are also frequently stigmatised, and left to face discrimination and social isolation. Up to 90% of people die of noma in the first two weeks if they don’t receive treatment in time.
“Noma mostly affects children under six years old. Its cause is unknown but risk factors are malnutrition and poor oral hygiene, compounded by comorbidities such as measles and malaria”
Continuing, the project manager said, “Noma is treatable and preventable; it should not exist. If detected and managed during the first weeks of the disease, with basic oral hygiene, antibiotics and wound dressing, a patient can recover from noma within a few weeks. However, preventing noma demands knowledge about the disease and its treatment.
“Moreover, good nutrition, oral hygiene and access to healthcare and vaccinations against childhood diseases are all needed to prevent noma.
“In North West Nigeria, it can be very difficult for patients to seek treatment, and risk factors abound. For people living in isolated, impoverished places, reaching a clinic or a hospital can be impossible. People often rely upon traditional remedies in the first instance, but only antibiotics can stop the disease from spreading. Even when people can access a local clinic, they don’t have the money to pay for care or, once there, healthcare workers lack knowledge about noma.”
He however noted that a specialised care is currently available for Noma in Nigeria at the Sokoto State Ministry of Health’s noma hospital, “one of very few specialized noma hospitals in the world. MSF has been supporting this hospital since 2014 with specialized surgery.
“Combined with our medical activities, MSF has also campaigned alongside the Federal Republic of Nigeria to advocate for the inclusion of noma within the World Health Organisation (WHO) neglected tropical diseases (NTD) list”
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