Noma Echoes
A project to shed light on noma disease in Mozambique after decades of neglect
Noma is a devastating oral gangrene that aflicts children in the most empoverished places. It is neglected from healthcare workers, through academia and all the way to health policies.
Our goal is to bring voice to noma cases happening in silence and never reaching health reports or the scientific community.
We aim to publish a series of cases on a scientific journal, to put into paper that noma does exist in Mozambique after more than 15 years of not being reported.
How will we do it?
How will we do it?
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We will visit rural communities in Zambezia province, northern Mozambique, gathering information on possible noma cases.
We will visit rural communities in Zambezia province, northern Mozambique, gathering information on possible noma cases.
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We will also visit Health Units, where health practitioners will be invited to fill in a questionnaire assessing their knowledge, attitudes and practices towards noma.
We will also visit Health Units, where health practitioners will be invited to fill in a questionnaire assessing their knowledge, attitudes and practices towards noma.
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We' will hang posters in the Health Units, informing about the clinical presentation and giving the contact of a researcher to report a suspected case that might occur in the future.
We' will hang posters in the Health Units, informing about the clinical presentation and giving the contact of a researcher to report a suspected case that might occur in the future.
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If a suspected case is identified, the study is explained to the patient and informed consent to participate is seeked. Then, a simple questionnaire is filled, gathering information about possible concomitant diseases, symptoms and signs as assessed by the doctor, among others.
If a suspected case is identified, the study is explained to the patient and informed consent to participate is seeked. Then, a simple questionnaire is filled, gathering information about possible concomitant diseases, symptoms and signs as assessed by the doctor, among others.
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The ultimate goal is to put noma on the health agenda, to give it the importance it diserves.
The ultimate goal is to put noma on the health agenda, to give it the importance it diserves.
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