Publications & Other Resources

As part of the Noma Project’s mission to engender a better understanding of noma, we provide a continuously updated list of publications and other resources on noma. The list includes the Noma Project’s outputs, other publications authored by the project’s researchers & members of the Advisory Board, as well as by other scholars and practitioners across a variety of disciplines of study and fields of practice.

If you wish to point us to any resources that you think should be included in this list, please contact us.

Project Outputs

Cismas I. (ed), (2022), Noma, The Neglected Disease, An Interdisciplinary Exploration of its Realities, Burden and Framing, Final Scientific Report, SNIS (open source available in pdf).

Galli, A., C. Brugger, T. Fürst, N. Monnier, M.S. Winkler, P. Steinmann (2022), ‘Prevalence, incidence and reported global distribution of noma: systematic review of recent studies’, Lancet Infectious Diseases, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(21)00698-8.

Srour M.L., E. Farley, E.K. Empinga (2022), ‘Lao Noma Survivors: A Case Series, 2002–2020’, American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.21-1079.

Srour, M.L. and Baratti-Mayer, D. (2020), ‘Why is noma a neglected-neglected tropical disease?’, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases 14(8) (open source available online and in pdf).

Trotter, A. and Cismas I. (2020), Noma & Human Rights Law – A Doctrinal Legal Analysis with Focus on Burkina Faso, Niger and Laos, Background Study, 2020 (available here).

Publications

Journal Articles

Ashok, N., Tarakji, B., Darwish, S., Rodrigues, J. and Altamini, M. (2016). A Review on Noma: A Recent Update. Global Journal of Health Science, 8(4), 53-59. 

Baratti-Mayer, D., Pittet, B., Montandon, D., Bolivar, I., Bornand, J., Hugonnet, S., Jaquinet, A., Schrenzel, J. and Pitter, D. (2003). Noma: An ‘Infectious’ Disease of Unknown Aetiology. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 3(7), 419-431. 

Baratti-Mayer, D., Pittet, B. and Montandon, D. (2004). GESNOMA (Geneva Study Group on Noma): une cherche médicale de pointe à but humanitaire. Annales de Chirurgie Plastique et esthétique, 49, 302-305. 

Baratti-Mayer, D., Gayet-Ageron, A., Hugonnet, S., François, P., Pitter-Cuenod, B., Huyghe, A., Bornand, JE., Gervaix, A., Montandon, D., Schrenzel, J., Mombelli, A. and Pittet, D. (2013). Risk factors for noma disease: a 6-year, prospective, matched case-control study in Niger. The Lancet Global Health, 1(2), 87-96. 

Baratti-Mayer, D., Gayet-Ageron, A., Cionca, N., Mossi, MA., Pittet, D. and Mombelli, A. (2017). Acute necrotising gingivitis in young children from villages with and without noma in Niger and its association with sociodemographic factors, nutritional stats and oral hygiene practices: results of a population-based survey. BMJ Global Health, 2(3), e000253.

Barmes, DE., Enwonwu, CO., Leclercq, MH., Bourgeois, D. and Falkler, WA. (1997). The Need for Action Against Oro-Facial Gangrene (Noma). Tropical Medicine & International Health, 2(12), 1111-1114.

Bolivar, I., Whiteson, K., Stadelmann, B., Baratti-Mayer, D., Gizard, Y., Mombelli, A., Pittet, D. and Schrenzel, J. (2012). Bacterial diversity in oral samples of children in Niger with acute noma, acute necrotizing gingivitis, and healthy controls. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 6(3), e1556. 

Bourgeois, DM., Diallo, B., Frieh, C. and Leclercq, MH. (1999). Epidemiology of the Incidence of Oro-Facial Noma: A Study of Cases in Dakar, Senegal, 1981-1993. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 61(9), 909-913. 

Bourgeois, DM. and Leclercq, MH. (1999). The World Health Organization Initiative on Noma. Oral Diseases, 5(2), 172-174. 

Caulfield, A. and Alfvén, T. (2020). Improving prevention, recognition and treatment of noma. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 98, 365-366.

Enwonwu, CO., Phillips, RS. and Ferrell, CD. (2005). Temporal relationship between the occurrence of fresh noma and the timing of linear growth retardation in Nigerian children. Tropical Medicine & International Health, 10(1), 65-73.

Enwonwu, CO. (2006). Noma – The Ulcer of Extreme Poverty. The New England of Medicine, 354(3), 221-224. 

Enwonwu, CO., Falkler, WA. and Phillips, RS. (2006). Noma (cancrum oris). The Lancet, 368(9530), 147-156. 

Farley, E., Lenglet, A., Ariti, C., Jiya, NM., Adetunji, AS., van der Kam, S. and Bill, K. (2018). Risk factors for diagnosed noma in northwest Nigeria: A case-control study, 2017. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 12(8), 1-11. 

Farley, E., Oyemakinde, MJ., Schuurmans, J., Ariti, C., Saleh, F., Uzoigwe, G., Bill, K., Oluyide, B., Fotso, A., Amirtharajah, M., Vyncke, J., Brechard, R., Adetunji, A.S., Ritmeijer, K., van der Kam, S., Baratti-Mayer, D., Mehta, U., Isah, S., Ihekweazu, C. and Lenglet, A. (2020). The prevalence of noma in northwest Nigeria. BMJ Global Health, 5, 1-15.

Feller, L., Khammissa, R., Altini, M. and Lemmer, J. (2019). Noma (cancrum oris): An unresolved global challenge. Periodontology 2000, 80, 189-199.

Fieger, A., Marck, K., Busch, R. and Schmidt, A. (2003). An Estimation of the Incidence of Noma in North-West Nigeria. Tropical Medicine & International Health, 8(5), 402-407. 

Hatcher, J. and Williamson, L. (2017). Noma in patient with HIV. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 17(6), 672. 

Huyghe, A., François, P., Mombelli, A., Tangomo, M., Girard, M., Baratti-Mayer, D., Bolivar, I., Pitter, D. and Schrenzel, J. (2013). Microarray analysis of microbiota of gingival lesions in noma patients. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 7(9), e2453

Maley, A., Desai, M. and Parker, S. (2015). Noma: A disease of poverty presenting at an urban hospital in the United States. JAAD Case Reports, 1(1), 18-20. 

Marck, KW. (2003). A History of Noma, the ‘Face of Poverty’. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 111(5), 1702-1707. 

Marck, KW. (2003). Cancrum oris and noma: some etymological and historical remarks. The British Association of Plastic Surgeons, 54, 524-527. 

Pittet, B., Rüegg, E., Baratti-Mayer, D. and Jacquinet, A. (2015). Traitement chirurgical des séquelles de noma. EMC – Techniques chirurgicales – Chirurgie plastique, reconstructrice et esthétique, 10(3), 545-558. 

Ravinetto, R. (2017). Noma: Time to Address a Collective Moral Failure. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 96(2), 263. 

Rüegg, EM., Gniadek, P., Modarressi, A., Baratti-Mayer, D., Pittet-Cuénod, B. (2016). Facial bone reconstruction with prefabricated vascularized calvarium flaps in children and young adults: advantages and long-term results. Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, 44(12), 1880-1888.

Rüegg, EM., Baratti-Mayer, D., Jaquinet, A., Montandon, D. and Pittet-Cuénod, B. (2018). The Surgical Management of Extra-Articular Ankylosis in Noma Patients. International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 47(12), 1527-1533.

Shaye, D., Rabbels, J., Adetunji, AS., Magee, A., Vo, D. and Winters, R. (2018). Evaluation of the Noma Disease Burden Within the Noma Belt. JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery, 20(4), 332-333. 

Srour, L., Watt, B., Phengdy, B., Khansoulivong, K., Harris, J., Bennett, C., Strobel, M., Dupuis, C. and Newton, P. (2008). Noma in Laos: Stigma of Severe Poverty in Rural Asia. The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 78(4), 539-542. 

Srour, L., Marck, K. and Baratti-Mayer, D. (2015). Noma: neglected, forgotten and a human rights issue. International Health, 7(3), 149-150. 

Srour, L., Marck, K. and Baratti-Mayer, D. (2017). Noma: Overview of a Neglected Disease and Human Rights Violation. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 96(2), 268-274.

Tonna, JE., Lewin, MR. and Mensah, B. (2010). A Case and Review of Noma. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 4(12), e869.

United Nations & World Health Organization Documents

Cismas, I/UN Human Rights Council Advisory Committee, Study of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee on severe malnutrition and childhood diseases with children affected by noma as an example. (24 February 2012) UN. Doc. A/HRC/19/73 (available here). 

United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, ‘Concluding observations on the combined fourth and fifth periodic reports of Ethiopia’ (3 June 2015) UN. Doc. CRC/C/ETH/CO/4-5. 

United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, ‘Concluding observations on the fourth periodic report of Eritrea’ (2 July 2015) UN. Doc. CRC/C/ERI/CO/4. 

United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, ‘Concluding observations on the initial report of Burkina Faso’ (12 July 2016) UN. Doc. E/C.12/BFA/CO/1.

‘Enquête Delphi. Le noma aujourd'hui. Un problème de santé publique. Rapport sur une consultation d'experts’ (Geneva, WHO 1998).

‘Promoting Oral Health in Africa: Prevention and control of oral diseases and noma as part of essential noncommunicable disease interventions’ (Brazzaville, WHO Regional Office for Africa 2016). 

‘The World Health Report 1998, Life in the 21st century: A vision for all’ (Geneva, WHO 1998). 

Other studies

Cismas, I. and Adamou Moussa-Pham, M.-S., Concept Note in Support of the Inclusion of Noma (Cancrum Oris) on the World Health Organization List of Neglected Tropical Diseases, 6 pp, 2016 (available here).

Online Resources

BBC & Facing Africa Documentary

F Iyorah, ‘Inside the flesh-eating disease you’ve probably never heard about but should’ (1 June 2017) Bhekisia [Online] .

Médecins Sans Frontières Ressources: