[Faline]

Noma (cancrum oris) is an acute and ravaging gangrenous infection affecting the face. The victims of Noma are mainly children under the age of 6, caught in a vicious circle of extreme poverty and chronic malnutrition.
Noma begins with ulcers in the mouth. If the condition is detected in the early stage, progression can be prevented with the use of mild antibiotics and immediate nutritional rehabilitation. If left untreated, as happens in most cases, the ulcers progress to Noma at an alarming pace. The next stage is extremely painful when the cheeks or lips begin to swell and the victim's general condition deteriorates. Within a few days, the swelling increases and a blackish furrow appears and the gangrenous process sets in and, after the scab falls away and a gaping hole is left in the face. It is estimated that the mortality rate reaches up to an alarming 90%.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 140,000 new cases of Noma occur each year and of these, a mere 10% survive. That means that 126,000 die each year, mainly in sub-Saharan countries from Senegal to Ethiopia, a region known as "the Noma belt".

Aissa, the fiesty surviver. Lovable, squeezable, needing some tough love at times girl from Cameroon..who came to the Africa Mercy for a skin graph and left saying "I am Beautiful"...

[PoetsOfTheFall]

Poor little angel

[juliemd]

she has a positive outlook for herself, pretty little girl.

[LadyNightmare]

Poor little thing! Looks like someone is trying to help, maybe when she is a little older they will have her looking like nothing ever happened to her. She is a cute little thing.

[durt]

[Dynamo47]

She is a cutie and at such a young age her skin is flexible and tough so hopefully she will suffer minimal scarring when she is older.

[collaredgirl65]

[Airbornemama]

You go little one!!! You ARE beautiful

[DiamondSmiles]

Poor baby! I think she'll be fine.

Kids really are resilient.

[kayo brizzle]

Wow, from malnutrition? Sad we still have stuff like that.