Reliable data on the frequency of Noma do not exist. The World Health Organization estimates that between 80,000 and 90,000 children die from the disease every year. About 10,000 survive Noma with devastating consequences. In a developing country like Niger, there are 14 Noma patients for every 100,000 inhabitants.

The Hilfsaktion registers patients in Niger according to their geographical origin, sex and age in order to compile statistics. Survivors are extremely disfigured and often banned from society. A child with Noma said that it ran from village to village to steal food from pots, since it had been expelled from its own community. Everyone chased  the child away. After the operations, the child’s village took it back and allowed it to drink from the same water bowl as everyone else – this had been strictly forbidden before.

Prevalence of the disease Noma