Nearly 178,600 women died from pregnancy and childbirth-related causes in African Union member states in 2023, accounting for 69 percent of the estimated 260,000 maternal deaths worldwide that year. This demographic catastrophe unfolds as the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meets, ostensibly to press for health progress across the continent. African Union member states also face an estimated 1.18 million newborn deaths annually, representing over half of the global total.
Beyond these staggering figures, a severe, neglected disease known as noma continues to disfigure and kill children in northern Nigeria and across a vast “noma belt” stretching from Senegal to Ethiopia. Ibrahim Dalhatu, now eight, underwent his first facial reconstructive surgery in 2021, five years ago, after contracting noma at age three. He has endured six operations since then.
Noma is a rapidly progressing infection, often fatal, that begins with gum inflammation in malnourished children living in polluted environments. It quickly destroys soft tissues and bones, primarily affecting children aged two to six in impoverished communities. Doctors Without Borders (MSF), a transnational humanitarian organization, performs multi-stage operations free of charge, offering a rare chance at a normal life for these children.
The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies noma as a neglected tropical disease, acknowledging its impact but admitting it receives little global attention or funding. WHO has not updated its data on noma since 1998, when it estimated 140,000 annual cases with a 90% fatality rate. A study published two months ago in The Lancet Global Health journal reported over 50,000 noma cases across 12 northern Nigerian states between 1999 and 2024, relying on data from Nigeria's Sokoto hospital.
Experts identify extreme poverty and severe malnutrition as major risk factors for noma. The WHO itself calls the disease “a marker of absolute poverty.” The United Nations Human Rights Council states that the conditions leading to noma constitute a human rights violation for affected children.
The Neglected Plague
Northern Nigeria, already ravaged by armed violence and economic hardship, sees more children diagnosed with noma. Many arrive late for treatment due to a lack of awareness and the disease's deadly impact, according to MSF and medical officials. Bukola Oluyide, Nigeria medical coordinator at MSF, noted an increase in acute noma cases.
Nigeria reports more noma cases than other countries, according to WHO's Yuka Makino, due to its specialist hospitals, large population, and a government-led response that ensures more cases are reported. However, neither the federal Ministry of Health nor the state ministry for Sokoto responded to inquiries about their plans to combat the disease. This silence speaks volumes.
More than 500 children with noma from across northern Nigeria were treated at the specialist hospital in Sokoto between 2023 and 2025, within the last three years. Others await surgery at the three sessions MSF runs each year. Nigeria possesses only two noma hospitals, with one in Abuja recently built three years ago in 2023.
Maryam Sabiu's four-year-old son, infected with noma in 2024, remains on a waiting list for surgery, too young for the procedure despite a hole in his left cheek extending toward his left eye. His mother described the public's stares as “one of the worst experiences in my entire life.”
Globalist Failure on Life and Death
The dire figures on maternal and newborn deaths form the backdrop for Africa's push for faster action at the UNGA. The continental agenda, dubbed “Three Zeros,” aims for zero home deliveries, zero preventable maternal and newborn deaths, and zero unvaccinated children by 2030. This ambitious target, however, appears increasingly out of reach.
A new Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) evidence review, released 14 days ago on September 9, 2026, draws on data from all 55 African Union member states. It finds that maternal mortality has declined by 42 percent between 2000 and 2023, from 666 to 388 deaths per 100,000 live births. Yet, the global Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target is fewer than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.
Africa CDC estimates that at the current annual rate of reduction of 2.4 percent, the maternal mortality ratio across AU member states would still stand at approximately 330 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2030. This figure is close to five times the SDG target. Meeting the target would require the rate of decline to increase roughly tenfold.
The burden of maternal deaths is unevenly distributed, with West Africa recording the highest ratio at 682 deaths per 100,000 live births, accounting for 55 percent of maternal deaths in Africa. Central Africa follows with 439 deaths, East Africa with 260, Southern Africa with 162, and North Africa with 50. Four of these five regions together account for 99 percent of maternal deaths on the continent.
Beyond access to health facilities, the Africa CDC assessment identifies delays in receiving appropriate care, shortages of medicines and blood, staffing gaps, and weak referral systems as contributing factors. Between 58 and 96 percent of maternal deaths were estimated to be avoidable in countries that assessed preventability.
Child survival faces a similar challenge. An estimated 4.9 million children died before their fifth birthday in 2024, including 2.3 million newborns, according to the latest United Nations child mortality estimates. Sub-Saharan Africa alone accounted for 58 percent of global under-five deaths.
Elite Directives, Local Suffering
Kenya launched its Every Woman Every Newborn Everywhere Acceleration Plan for 2026–2028, a current plan period, targeting preventable maternal and newborn deaths in 26 high-burden counties. The government states it is investing approximately Sh12.5 billion in maternal and newborn health, including Sh5 billion annually for the recruitment of 5,000 nurses. Medical Services Principal Secretary Ouma Oluga declared maternal and newborn survival a “shared responsibility across government.”
The WHO Regional Office for Africa, another transnational body, launched a new manual this current month, September 2026, to help primary healthcare workers identify suspected breast cancer earlier. This publication supports the WHO Global Breast Cancer Initiative, which aims to reduce breast cancer mortality through early diagnosis and timely treatment. Breast cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women worldwide.
In most countries across the African Region, over 70 percent of breast cancer cases are detected at a late stage, severely limiting treatment options and reducing survival outcomes. Dr. Benido Impouma, Director of the Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Control Cluster at WHO Regional Office for Africa, emphasized strengthening frontline health workers' ability to recognize warning signs.
The WHO guidance highlights that delays of six months or longer between symptom emergence and access to appropriate care remain common in many African settings. Such delays contribute to advanced-stage disease and preventable deaths. The manual also stresses patient navigation, a “personalized approach” to help women overcome barriers like fear, stigma, and financial constraints.
WHO called on member states, health managers, training institutions, and “development partners” to adapt and implement this guidance. This directive aims to strengthen primary healthcare workers' skills and improve links between primary care, diagnostic facilities, and treatment services, ultimately reducing preventable deaths and advancing “health equity.”