Northern Nigeria’s malnutrition crisis worsens, surges by 51% — MSF

The International President of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Dr. Christos Christou, has reported a significant increase in the number of malnourished children in northern Nigeria. Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja at the weekend, following his visit to Maiduguri, Borno State capital, Christou revealed that there has been a 51% rise in admissions of children with severe malnutrition from January to August this year compared to the same period last year.

He stated, “People in northern Nigeria have been through a lot with overwhelming levels of malnutrition, frequent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, and lack of medical facilities and medical personnel, compounded by continuous insecurity.”

Christou described his visit to hospitals and clinics supported by MSF, stressing the organisation’s efforts to aid the local healthcare system in addressing malaria and other diseases, as well as providing access to maternity services.

He noted the recent launch of a cholera treatment centre after a cholera outbreak was declared. “All this has happened in the background of a catastrophic malnutrition crisis,” he added.

Noting the severity of the situation, he quoted a Nigerian doctor with MSF who has been working in the region for over eight years, saying, “Every year, during this season, we see terrible numbers of malnourished children coming to the hospital in a severe condition. But this year, at a time when the peak is supposed to be over, the number of patients admitted to the hospital is not going down. Worse, the condition in which they arrive is even more severe than usual.”

Christou pointed out that many people lack access to basic medical care and face challenges in reaching healthcare facilities, which often leads to them arriving for treatment too late. He also noted that numerous organisations providing support in Maiduguri and other parts of northern Nigeria have had to reduce their budgets or halt their operations entirely.

“For the past few years, MSF has seen a significant increase in the number of admissions for malnutrition. The numbers in 2022 and 2023 were already critically high. But between January to August this year, we have seen a 51% increase in admissions of children with severe malnutrition, compared to the same period last year. Over the first eight months of this year, we have treated 52,725 children with severe malnutrition, a life-threatening condition, across the whole of northern Nigeria,” he stated.

He further added, “On top of this, outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles, are recurrent in Nigeria and one of the leading causes of death amongst children. Between January and August this year alone, we had already treated over 12,500 cases of measles. That’s nearly double the same period last year. Outbreaks of infectious diseases significantly increase mortality risks for children under the age of five.”

Unvaccinated children in this age group are particularly vulnerable, as Christou explained: “Unvaccinated children in this age group are particularly vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases, diseases which elevate the risk of acute malnutrition.”

Corroborating Christou’s statements, the head of mission for MSF, Ahmad Bilal, reported that in states where MSF operates, there have been 200,000 admissions in ambulatory therapeutic feeding centres, with 52,000 admissions from January to August compared to the previous year.

He remarked, “Last year, the ATFCs admission increased by 50% while the inpatient therapeutic feeding centres admission increased by 60%. There was a time when we were putting two patients in one bed, and this is a concern when we see that increase by over 50%.”