Kourittenga: The NGO Chaine de l'Espoir and its partners conducted training workshops on noma prevention in Koupela on November 25 and 26, 2025. This second session focused on equipping school principals, teachers, and students with the knowledge to combat noma, a serious oral disease.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the workshops targeted ten school principals, sixty students, and ten teachers. Participants learned about the causes, consequences, and prevention methods of noma. Previously, the initiative involved Head Nurses of Posts, Community Basic Health Agents, and community relays of Dauphin radio in Koupela.
The main aim of these workshops, organized by La Chaine de l'Espoir, NGO Sentinelles, and radio La voix du Paysan, is to enhance awareness of oral pathologies like noma, gingivitis, and dental caries among students and educational staff. The initiative encourages the adoption of hygienic behaviors that promote oral health and facilitates rapid referrals to health centers when these diseases are detected.
Abdoulaye Doulougou, the country representative of the Sentinelles Foundation in Burkina Faso, emphasized the importance of supporting children in spreading awareness. "Prevention is better than cure," he stated, highlighting the role of children in disseminating the message in schools, neighborhoods, and villages.
Aminata Zoungrana/Bouda, director of the Koupela Nord A school, commended the initiative for raising awareness about a disease that was largely unknown. She believes this training will help inform others that noma is treatable and not a curse.
Students, who received school kits, expressed eagerness to share their newfound knowledge. Isaac Nare, a student at Grigny A school, acknowledged the serious consequences of certain oral diseases and committed to educating his friends and family.
Noma is classified by the WHO as the 4th global scourge after malaria, AIDS, and cardiovascular diseases. It is a rapidly progressing, mutilating gangrenous condition of the face, commonly affecting children aged 2 to 6 years in environments with prevalent malnutrition and poverty.
This program is part of a broader public health approach aimed at reducing the prevalence of noma and changing attitudes around this disease.