AFRICA/NIGER - Noma severely affects the poorest and malnourished children

Monday, 6 July 2015

Niamey (Agenzia Fides) - Severe malnutrition in Niger continues paving the way for Noma disease to claim more victims among poverty-stricken children, most of whom feel socially outcast as they see the infection eating away their faces. The victims are mainly children between 2 and 6 years of age who suffer from hunger and poverty. "The problem is that this is a very fast-acting disease", says in a statement Switzeland-based charity group Sentinelles operating in Niger.
The necrosis takes hold in 72 hours. According to the UN, malnutrition in Niger is largely caused by the absence of essential nutrients for children, weakening the immune system against ordinary childhood illnesses. Between 4,000 and 6,000 infants die of malnutrition each year in the country.
Many African and South American nations are grappling with a significant number of infection cases, but Niger accounts for a large part of the 140,000 to 180,000 victims every year worldwide, according to the UN World Health Organization. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 06/07/2015)


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