The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, has warned that Nigeria sits firmly within the Noma belt of Sub-Saharan Africa, placing it among the countries with the highest burden of the disease.
Naijaonpoint reports that Salako stated this in Abuja at the 2025 National Oral Health Week and Noma Awareness Day and Scientific Conference, held on Tuesday, December 2, with the theme “Ending Noma through Strengthening Intersectoral and Global Cooperation.”
The minister described poor oral health as a “silent epidemic” that continues to undermine productivity and quality of life for millions of Nigerians.
He said, “Data has shown us that oral diseases are the most common non-communicable diseases, affecting nearly 50 per cent of the world’s population. They are accompanied by high social, economic, and health system impacts, causing pain, disfigurement, social isolation, distress, and death.”
According to him, Noma, a fast-spreading gangrenous infection affecting mostly malnourished children living in extreme poverty, remains a major threat in the North-West, where poverty, malnutrition and poor hygiene fuel its spread.
“Nigeria falls within the Noma belt of Sub-Saharan Africa, among countries with the highest prevalence of the disease,” he added.
He noted that delayed detection and weak surveillance mean “many cases go undiagnosed and untreated, leading to avoidable deaths.”
Salako said the government is working to fully integrate oral health care into Primary Health Care facilities nationwide.
“The Federal Ministry of Health is working assiduously to ensure that oral health is fully integrated into Primary Health Care,” he said, adding that PHCs will provide oral hygiene education, diagnostics, fluoride treatment, restorative services and referrals.
He disclosed that the expansion of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund would channel more resources into oral health services for vulnerable groups.
He also announced plans to upgrade dental facilities, employ more dental professionals and train primary health workers and traditional birth attendants to detect and refer oral diseases early.
“This approach is helping to reduce stigmatisation, raise awareness and ensure early identification of Noma, cleft lips and palates,” the minister said.
‘No Child Should Die Of A Preventable Disease’
While stressing that Noma is preventable and treatable, Salako said it is “unacceptable that any child in our country should suffer irreversible disfigurement or die from it.”
He reaffirmed the Tinubu administration’s commitment to early detection and grassroots care through an integrated PHC system.
The Country Representative of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Ahmed Aldikhari, said the organisation had delivered comprehensive Noma care in Nigeria since 2014, providing reconstructive surgeries, physiotherapy, nutrition support and mental health services.
He said more than 1,600 major reconstructive surgeries had been conducted for 1,074 patients through 33 surgical missions.
“In 2025 alone, 99 surgeries were performed for 89 patients,” he said.
He added that MSF had trained 28 surgeons and 14 anaesthetists locally, strengthening Nigeria’s capacity for long-term Noma care.
Aldikhari celebrated the inclusion of Noma in the WHO list of neglected tropical diseases, describing it as “a major milestone” achieved through joint advocacy by Nigeria and MSF.
Nigeria Bears Highest Noma Burden – NANI
The Chairman of Noma Aid Nigeria Initiative (NANI), Mathis Winkler, said Nigeria accounts for the highest burden of Noma in Africa.
“Nigeria, being the most populous country in Africa, is the most affected by the disease as far as we know,” he said.
“Our mission is to help survivors and prevent the disease in the first place.”
The organisation’s Country Director, Dr Charles Ononiwu, disclosed that 237 Noma surgeries have been performed free of charge since 2023.
“Everything we do for these patients is completely free… transportation, surgery, medication, feeding and social assistance,” he said.
The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Health, Amos Magaji, described Noma as both a public health emergency and a social justice concern.
“Ending Noma is possible within our lifetime. No child should live with a preventable deformity, and no parent should suffer avoidable grief,” he said.
Magaji emphasised the need to address poverty, malnutrition and water scarcity, while strengthening PHC systems, community education and sustainable financing to eliminate the disease.
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