Free operations give hope to children with a neglected but deadly disease in Africa

Ibrahim Dalhatu, a 3-year-old boy, contracted noma, a severe and often fatal disease that disfigures the face and destroys soft tissues and bones, in Sokoto, Nigeria. He underwent his first facial reconstructive surgery in 2021 at the Noma Children Hospital and has since had six operations to aid his recovery. Noma is a rapidly progressing infection that mostly affects 2- to 6-year-old children in poor communities, with limited global attention and funding.

Doctors Without Borders offers free multi-stage operations as part of its mission to address neglected diseases, providing hope to children like Ibrahim and their families in one of the world's poorest regions.

Brief written by urgent.news from Winnipeg Free Press's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.