The International NoNoma Federation was established in 2003, at the instigation of the Winds of Hope Foundation. It sees itself principally as a motivator for bringing together field workers engaged in combating noma. It provides a platform for real communication and exchange. This has led to the creation of collaborative projects and synergies between members, resolving to join forces in order better to eliminate this scourge. Its areas of activity range from prevention to research, advocacy, etc.
- c/o Winds of Hope Foundation, Ch. de Montolivet 19, 1006 Lausanne, Suisse
- +41 (0)21 320 77 22
- info@nonoma.org
A forum for ideas and networking, the Federation’s main aim is to reinforce the fight against noma throughout the world, by encouraging its members to collaborate with each other, and by making itself the preferred interlocutor for authorities in countries affected by noma as well as for international bodies.
The Federation
Members
The Federation consists of 3 categories of members: active, associate and partner members. A synoptic table showing each category of member with their respective areas of activity enables identification at a glance of who does what, and also, for those who wish to find out a bit more, of how each member organization makes its own modest contribution to extinguishing the fire …
General Assembly and roundtable
Every year, some thirty organizations meet for two days to create synergies and reinforce their campaigns in the field.
The archive of General Assembly and Round Table minutes enables readers to appreciate in depth the members’ projects, and gives an overview of the richness of the exchanges.
Noma day
On Thursday 22 May 2008, Winds of Hope and the Federation organised the first World Day to combat Noma. This “Noma Day” was held in Geneva under the patronage of Mr Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations, and chaired by Bertrand Piccard, President of Winds of Hope. It was organized in association with the World Health Organization and its Regional Office for Africa and with the cooperation of the International Dental Federation.
The objectives of Noma Day were to bring noma, a hitherto little known scourge, out into the limelight. The day included scientific lectures by renowned researchers; informative sessions open to the public; a youth forum; various presentations on the activities of humanitarian organizations; and exhibitions of photographs and films.
To close the day, a Gala Evening was organized. This raised almost a million francs for field campaigns combating noma. Already by the end of 2008, several of the Federation’s associations were benefitting from funding for their projects in sub-Saharan Africa.