Malnourished children
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, has raised alarms over a devastating surge in severe malnutrition cases among children in northern Nigeria. The organization warns of an early peak in the lean season, which has exacerbated the crisis.
Dr. Simba Tirima, MSF’s Country Representative in Nigeria, disclosed the grim statistics during the presentation of the organization’s 2023 Activity Report and the essential medical data for the first quarter of 2024 in Abuja on Tuesday.
“We are alarmed by the reduction in aid at these critical times. Reducing nutritional support to only severely malnourished children is akin to waiting for a child to become gravely ill before providing care,” Dr. Tirima said.
The report highlights an alarming 100% increase in admissions in some locations compared to last year. In April 2024, MSF’s medical team in Maiduguri admitted 1,250 severely malnourished children with complications to their inpatient therapeutic feeding center, double the figure from April 2023.
The facility had to urgently scale up its capacity, accommodating 350 patients by the end of May, far exceeding the 200 beds initially designated for the peak malnutrition season in July and August.
MSF-operated facilities in Bauchi state’s Kafin Madaki hospital, and Zamfara state’s Shinkafi and Zurmi, have also reported significant increases in admissions of severely malnourished children.
In Kebbi state, the therapeutic feeding center documented a rise of over 20% in inpatient admissions from March to April. MSF inpatient facilities in major cities like Kano and Sokoto are also experiencing alarming surges of 75% and 100%, respectively.
Dr. Tirima emphasized the dire situation, stating, “We’ve been warning about the worsening malnutrition crisis for the last two years. 2022 and 2023 were already critical, but an even grimmer picture is unfolding in 2024. We can’t keep repeating these catastrophic scenarios year after year. What will it take to make everyone take notice and act?”
The MSF representative stressed the urgency of the crisis, highlighting the inadequate humanitarian response. “We are resorting to treating patients on mattresses on the floor because our facilities are full. Children are dying. If immediate action is not taken, more lives hang in the balance. Everyone needs to step in to save lives and allow the children of northern Nigeria to grow free from malnutrition and its disastrous long-term, if not fatal, consequences,” he urged.
Other non-profit organizations active in the north are also overwhelmed. In May, the United Nations and the Federal Government issued an urgent appeal for $306.4 million to address the pressing nutritional needs in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states.
However, Dr. Tirima argued that this amount is insufficient, neglecting other parts of northern Nigeria where needs also outweigh the current capacity of organizations to respond adequately.
The event included panelists such as Dr. Abdulwahab Mohamed, Medical Coordinator; Karsten Noko, Head of Mission; Usman Buba Usman, Head of Mission Advisor; and Dr. Deogracia Kabila, Medical Coordinator. They unanimously agreed that the situation is further exacerbated by the lack of access to nutritious food, clean water, and basic healthcare in the region.
In 2023, MSF teams responded to the largest global diphtheria outbreak ever recorded, which began in Kano state and spread across the country, treating 14,832 patients.
The speakers called for immediate action to address the malnutrition crisis in northern Nigeria, warning that if prompt measures are not taken, more lives will hang in the balance.