Hard blow for Persis whose laboratory was found on fire this morning at 5:30. The refrigerator containing reagents (not yet paid for) has burned completely. The hematology (sysmex) and biochemistry (mindray) devices are considerably damaged. Computers, inverters and other effects are lost. This lab contributed a lot to fund Persis Center! Firefighters and staff were mobilized to clean up everything. The origin of the fire is unknown; a faulty socket outlet? a bare cable? a defective refrigerator? to be followed…

Mr Dieumo, the founder of STOP NOMA (see previous newsletter) has created a new organization named Noma Program (https: //nomaprogram.org) whose actions are as intriguing as the ones he proclaimed to do through its previous organization. STOP Noma has mysteriously disappeared of the scene since we have started speaking about our doubts concerning their activities. Be vigilant with NOMA Program!

To all donors and friends who are sensitive to the cause of noma: We would like to inform you that the association STOP NOMA, headed by Mr Dieumo (www.stopnoma.org), is not part of the International Federation for the fight against Noma and is not known to any of the members of this Federation working in the field. We invite you to read this report from the non-profit association Give Wisely following their meeting with Mr Dieumo, (give-wisely-asbl-conclusions-contact-mr-dieumo-30-08-2016-stop-noma) as well as this letter addressed to the same gentleman by the Winds of Hope Foundation (lettre-woh-envoyee-a-mr-dieumo). Please be vigilant, because there are serious doubts about the use of the funds collected by this association. Some texts and photos on their website have also been taken without authorization from the Winds of Hope Foundation’s site and repeated requests to remove them ignored.

Noma is a virulent gangrene that develops in the mouth. It starts with a benign lesion but ends up by devastating the face in an atrocious way.. It mainly affects children aged 2 to 6 years. In the absence of treatment, 80% -90% of affected children die. Those that survive will never be able to speak, eat or breathe normally.

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The activities of the Federation’s members are directly linked in different ways with the disease of noma: prevention, detection, treatment, social and financial support, research, raising awareness in the international community, advocacy. To date, they are conducted mainly in Africa, in the following countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Congo (DRC), Senegal and Togo.

The Federation has some thirty members. They work together to develop synergies, locally and internationally, and all observe a common ethical code. Most of these NGOs are based in Switzerland and France, but also there are some in Austria, Germany, Belgium, Great Britain, the United States, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Mali, Niger and DR Congo.