| Introduction |
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When we first hear its name, we do not know what it is. When we hear its description, we cannot believe it. And when we see the devastation of the disease with our own eyes, we will never be the same again. Noma is a disease that not only leaves indelible scars on the faces of its very young victims but also on the soul of those who witness it: the shame of not knowing about it sooner, the horror of its happening in the 21st century, the incomprehension of so little involvement by humanitarian organizations. Every year, and with few caring, some 100,000 very young children living in the poorest regions of Asia, South America and Sub-Saharan Africa, pay an unacceptable price for malnutrition, poor hygiene and ignorance. Beginning as a gingivitis that turns into necrotizing ulcerative tissue or an undetected oedema in the cheek, the infection develops rapidly in a few days before becoming irreversible due to weakening natural defenses. Yet, during those few days, common antibiotics would have been sufficient to halt the progression of the disease. But no-one knew The child is now condemned to see a gangrenous infection ravage his face, destroying soft and hard tissue, and present to the so-called civilized world, the true face of misery: hideous, revolting, unacceptable. Twenty percent of the victims survive, but with terrible suffering: gaping holes in the face, scars that restrict jaw movement and prevent normal feeding, breathing problems, social rejection due to repulsive disfigurement. Children without a face. Did you know they existed? Since Noma is a non communicable disease, it has no priority status. Since it is directly related to malnutrition and poor hygiene, it appears to be an unsolvable problem. Yet, Noma is a symbol: a symbol of the imbalance of a world split between a wasteful society and starving populations, between ultra-sophisticated technologies and total destitution. It is a symbol of our short-term vision when we forget that humanity will not be able to advance very far by leaving three quarters of its population behind. To ring the alarm bell is not an act of naive solidarity; it is an effort to secure the future of humanity. Dr. Bertrand Piccard |
