VIDEO. This association gives a face to children affected by Noma 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 two, Priscille has suffered from Noma disease, a gangrenous infection that destroys the face. The disease is fatal in 90% of cases if left untreated. To help children like Priscille, surgeon Ali Bourji co-founded the humanitarian association Sourire un jour in 2012. He operates there free of charge on patients with the disease.

Noma disease, also called “the disease of the poor”, mainly affects children between the ages of two and six and is mainly found in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2020, Priscille underwent facial surgery. In 10 years, the association has operated on 260 children and adults, including patients suffering from a tumor on the face or having a cleft lip.