Communiqué Awards raise £12k for charity

The 2010 Communiqué Awards, which took place on Thursday July 8, raised £12,769 for the charity Facing Africa, which funds and organises teams of highly experienced volunteer surgeons, anaesthetists and nurses who travel to Ethiopia and perform facial surgery on victims of Noma (cancrum oris) – a ravaging gangrenous infection affecting the face.

Victims of Noma are mainly children under the age of 6, caught in a vicious circle of extreme poverty and chronic malnutrition. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates new cases of Noma to be 140,000 each year, with only 10 per cent of victims likely to survive.

Organised by PMGroup, publisher of leading industry magazines Pharmaceutical Marketing, Pharmaceutical Marketing Europe, Communiqué and The Directory, the Communiqué Awards are a highlight in the industry calendar.

Each year the Communiqué Awards supports a different charity and guests are given the opportunity to make donations. This year, Surgeon LeRoux Fourie took to the stage and provided the audience with a moving insight, accompanied by a short film, into the devastating impact of Noma on the lives of so many African children. Mr Fourie explained how the teams of volunteer surgeons funded by Facing Africa can make a difference to the lives of children who contract the disease.

The Facing Africa London 10k Run team and PMGroup's Jemma Harber (below right) 

In addition to supporting Facing Africa on the night, PMGroup's Jemma Harber stepped in at the last minute to fill a vacancy in the charity's team for the British 2010 London 10k Run on Sunday, July 10.

More about Noma
Noma begins with ulcers in the mouth. If detected in the early stage, progression can be prevented with the use of mild antibiotics and immediate nutritional rehabilitation. If left untreated, as happens in most cases, the ulcers progress to Noma at an alarming pace.

The next stage is extremely painful when the cheeks or lips begin to swell and the victim's general condition deteriorates. Within a few days, the swelling increases and the gangrenous process sets in. A scab forms, and after falling away, victims are left with a gaping hole in their face.

You can find out more about the work of Facing Africa, and make a donation online, on the Facing Africa website

Full coverage from the Communiqué Awards as well as details of the winning entries and photographs of the winners are available in the Awards section of PMLiVE.