Francis Sardauna in Katsina 

The Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has admitted 300,000 children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) in its outpatient units across northern Nigeria in 2024.

The MSF Country Representative, Dr. Ahmed Aldikhari, disclosed this at the High-Level Conference on Mobilising Against Malnutrition in Katsina and North-West held in Abuja.

He explained that Nigeria has become the country where the organisation treats the largest number of malnourished children in the world.

“In 2024 alone, we admitted nearly 300,000 children with Severe Acute Malnutrition in our outpatient units across northern Nigeria. This accounts for more than half of all MSF admissions worldwide,” he said.

He attributed the crisis to Nigeria’s demographic weight as Africa’s largest nation and the sixth most populous country globally, coupled with the hunger gap affecting northern Sahelian regions.

“While the federal and state governments have a leading role to play, they cannot face this crisis alone. They need the continued support of all partners,” he stated.

Aldikhari revealed that the conference initiative emerged from discussions with the Katsina State Governor Dikko Umaru Radda on the urgent need to scale up treatment and prevention programmes.

He described the gathering as a strategic platform to align understanding, strengthen collaboration, and transform commitments into tangible, life-saving action.

Earlier, Governor Radda reaffirmed his administration’s unwavering resolve to confront malnutrition head-on, declaring that the state is moving from awareness to action.

He revealed that the state government has undertaken system-wide reforms in the health sector, investing over N14 billion in 2024, with 87 per cent budget performance and measurable improvements in service delivery.

He highlighted several milestones, including N1 billion contribution to the Child Nutrition Fund in partnership with UNICEF between 2023 and 2025, upgrade of 260 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) and seven General Hospitals and employment of over 1,600 frontline health workers and approval for postgraduate residency training in two state hospitals.

Radda, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed, further stated that the state enrolled 504,000 residents under health insurance schemes, including vulnerable households and security corps.

He also disclosed plans to scale up Outpatient Therapeutic Feeding Centres (OTPs) across 12 LGAs, establish Tom-Brown and Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) production factories in Katsina, and distribute 90,000 bags of grains to vulnerable households.

“We gather not merely to discuss a problem, but to confront an emergency that threatens the very foundation of our future — our children.

“To ensure sustainable solutions, we are setting up local production of Tom-Brown and RUTF to stimulate our economy and create jobs for our youth,” he added.

He announced that the state is considering the approval of six-month maternity leave and the full implementation of the Child Protection Law, alongside the enactment of a Family Law to curb social factors contributing to malnutrition.

“Our resolve is clear, but we cannot do it alone. We call for sustained partnership from donors, traditional rulers, civil society, and development partners. Let us leave this conference not with promises, but with actionable commitments,” Radda said.

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