Not many people have heard of a medical condition called Noma. Noma disappeared from developed countries over 100 years ago. It reappeared in Europe during the Second World War, mainly in the concentration camps of Nazi Germany, but has not been seen in developed countries since.

Unfortunately, the disease is still found in poorer countries worldwide, particular in sub-Saharan Africa, which includes Ethiopia.

What is Noma?

A group of children disfigured by Noma

Noma attacks people, particularly children, whose immune systems have been weakened by disease and malnutrition. The infection starts in the mouth and spreads rapidly. Within just a few weeks the lips, cheek, nose and jaw are eaten away by gangrene, leaving ghastly, painful wounds on the victims' faces.

Only 10% of victims survive this ravaging disease, but for the survivors, the suffering continues forever. They are excluded from society, horrifying everyone they come across. They are left unable to speak, or even to eat or drink properly, and are doomed to a life of pain, embarrassment and misery.

We want to help

The demand for highly skilled medical professionals in Ethiopia is great. We are working with a charity called Facing Africa to send teams of medical volunteers to Ethiopia, to perform reconstructive surgery on people who have been tragically disfigured by Noma.

A group of surgeons operating on Noma victims

All the healthcare professionals we send are unpaid volunteers, generously donating their time and skills to a fantastic cause, yet it still costs around £800 to fund each specialist operation.

These professionals use extremely delicate and lengthy procedures to take flesh from one part of the body and use it to reconstruct the victims' faces. In the process they also pass on their expert knowledge , including the latest surgical techniques, to Ethiopian doctors. This helps them to successfully treat Noma patients in the future. The professionals then give the aftercare needed to restore health and return smiles to their patients' faces.

In October 2008, over 50 facial reconstruction operations were performed in a two week period, which transformed the patients lives. One of the patients, Bekele, wanted to share his gratitude with you.

"I'm no longer ashamed of my face - the operation has been truly life-changing. Thank you."

Case Study