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%
Bodyshock 
Facing Africa is a registered UK charity that funds and sends teams of reconstructive surgeons to Ethiopia and Nigeria every year to treat the victims of noma (cancrum oris). The World Health Organisation estimates that 140,000 new cases of noma occur every year (globally) in underdeveloped countries. The disease is easily cured if treated, but the victims live in extreme poverty and have no access to medical treatment.