This episode covers a debilitating and life-threatening condition that disproportionately affects those in developing countries around the world. Affecting more than 150,000 people annually, Noma is a fatal infection of the face and mouth with the mortality rate approaching more than 90 percent and the morbidity/sequelae are permanently debilitating. Noma is a result of acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis (infection of the gums) which can rapidly spread and destroy other facial tissues. This can lead to struggles with eating, talking, and even breathing for affected individuals – if they even survive. Not only does this affect their activities of daily living, but it also affects their social interactions; often becoming shunned or excluded from societies and families due to the severely disfiguring and unpleasant aftermath. Further, the social and economic deprivation and political insecurity are staggering. A simple internet search before this episode will put the condition in context. Despite the high fatality rate and crippling aftermath, noma is a sorely neglected disease that can be prevented with multidisciplinary treatment. Join us in this episode as we speak with Dr. Bukola Oluyide and Charity Kamau as we discuss Noma as a condition, efforts that are being done to tackle it, and the sociological/anthropological aspects that remain following disease in its many forms.
Dr Bukola “Bukky” Oluyide & Charity Kamau: Noma Children’s Hospital
Nigeria
“Noma, Neglected tropical diseases, Multi-modal and multi-disciplinary management, and Social/Anthropological Causes of Disease”
Dr Bukola “Bukky” Oluyide is a medical doctor and has been the Deputy Medical Coordinator for Médecins San Frontières (MSF) for more than three years now and has worked in various positions for the past seven years including working in the field as a clinician. She is passionate about helping and ensuring care gets to those who need it the most and working with MSF has facilitated her passion. She is trained in Global Health and Humanitarian Medicine and works with tools in proffering solutions to public health challenges identified in the field.
She enjoys travelling and has explored a greater percentage of the states in Nigeria and some countries outside Nigeria, she wished to travel around more countries in Africa. Bukola is known for her calm and cool nature under pressure. When she is not working, she is pleased with understanding the intricacies of motherhood which involves trying to comprehend baby talk and children logic.
Charity Kamau has trained as a biomedical scientist. She currently works as a Project Coordinator in Noma Children’s Hospital, one of the few hospitals in the world dedicated to treating Noma disease. Since starting in this positon, Charity has focused on promoting national surgical teams to take on Noma surgery as well as raising awareness for Noma locally. Prior to this, Charity worked as a laboratory advisor for MSF which involved both strategic and implementation of Laboratory support. Charity is also the reigning champion of The Great Kenyan Bake Off.