VIDEO. This association gives a face to children affected by noma, a necrotizing disease

“When i saw my daughter through her really disfigured face i was sad she was really rejected everywhere she went.” In Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, since the age of 2, Priscille has suffered from noma, a gangrenous infection that destroys the face. The disease is fatal in 90% of cases if left untreated. To help children like Priscille, the surgeon Ali Bourji co-founded the humanitarian association Sourire un jour in 2012. There he operates on patients suffering from the disease free of charge.

Noma, also called “the disease of the poor”, mainly affects children aged 2 to 6 and is mainly found in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2020, Priscille underwent facial surgery. In ten years, the association has operated on 260 children and adults, including patients suffering from a tumor on the face or having a cleft lip.