Defining the Noma Research Agenda

Swiss TPH Hybrid Symposium

Restoring dignity — Only complicated plastic surgery can help affected children in the long term. 4-year-old Maryam has already undergone four operations, most recently a skin graft. (Photo: Claire Jeantet, Fabrice Caterini/Inediz)

Noma is a devastating disease that mainly affects children living in extreme poverty. If not treated at an early stage, up to nine in ten people die from noma. Those who survive often suffer life-long disabilities and stigma due to disfigurement.

Invisible for centuries, the World Health Organisation officially recognised noma as a Neglected Tropical Disease in December 2023. Using this momentum of increased global attention, we now want to bring together experts and stakeholders from different fields to set a common noma research agenda. Topics will include:

Integration of noma surveillance and treatment in established disease control programmes
Perspective of noma survivors in shaping research
Noma surveillance and prevention, including the role of nutrition
Population awareness and early detection
Physical and mental well-being of people affected by noma

Join our symposium and help us unite efforts to better understand, prevent and treat noma.