Ethiopia is a poor country that is stricken with disease and famine. One of the diseases that is really impacting the country is called Noma. This disease leads to severe facial deformations. Noma is a flesh eating disease that in the later stages leaves holes in the face. This disease acts similar to gangrene by rotting the flesh. This disease has been around for a long time and the only treatment for it, is plastic surgery and antibiotics. The mortality rate for peopel infected with Noma is 90%. Those that do survive are left without being able to talk or eat. Since people in Ethiopia live below the poverty level, it is extremely hard for the infected people to get help. There are many young children with this disease that cannot afford to get the treatment necessary. It is estimated that ten percent of children living in Ethiopia will die before their first birthday.
A group of plastic surgeons out of Yorkshire decided to start helping the country by performing reconstructive surgery on people with Noma. This team was led by Mr. Le Roux Fourie, who normally performs cosmetic surgery in Leeds. He is now donating time to help poverty stricken people. They have been staying and operating for 10 days at a time. In the first trip, the team of surgeons provided 44 people with surgeries.
The plastic surgeons stated that many of the patients required two separate surgeries. The first surgery would be to remove the diseased skin and teeth. The second surgery would be to reconstruct the face the best they could. The surgeons were planning more trips, other teams of surgeons were also planning to help the people. With more help, in the future more people in this country could get the help they need to stay alive.