Appeal to the G20 and UN leaders

Dear Heads of State,

you are certainly unaware of it, every year, in general indifference, about 140,000 children aged 2 to 6 years, see their faces horribly devoured by this terrible neglected childhood disease called “Noma”, caused by malnutrition and extreme poverty living conditions. This disease, declared a public health problem by the WHO in 1994, is still relevant today. Yet, it is possible to prevent and treat it with few resources.

The project “Acting against Noma 2021-2030” will accelerate the elimination of Noma, and will provide surgical care and facial reconstruction for severely disfigured children in a regional reference hospital in Africa to be built in Yaounde, Cameroon. The implementation of first aid and social reintegration centres for patients in all affected countries will complete the project and give it a more comprehensive perspective.

We call on you to include the fight against Noma on the agenda of the next G20 Summit in Saudi Arabia and to approve the holding of the “Paris 2020 International Conference on Noma” which will allow the effective implementation of the project “Acting against Noma 2021-2030”.

Eradicated completely in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century, Noma disease continues to wreak havoc in the poorest regions of Africa, Latin America and South-East Asia. According to WHO estimates, each year, 140,000 children are victims of it. Africa is the most affected continent, with 80% of cases reported. And yet, few resources can be used to eradicate Noma.

Indeed, as presented in the project “Acting against Noma 2021-2030”, a large-scale campaign of awareness-raising, prevention, rapid care and the fight against extreme poverty will make it possible to put a definitive end to this terrible tragedy of children ravaged by Noma. The fight against Noma will not be successful and effective without the massive support of the international community.