From Paul Orude, Bauchi
The medical humanitarian organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has raised alarm over an overwhelming surge of malnutrition cases in Bauchi State.
Bauchi, along with the majority of northern Nigeria, is facing a malnutrition crisis.
“We are very concerned by the catastrophic increase in malnutrition admissions we have seen in Bauchi in the first half of 2024,” Rabi Adamou, project coordinator for Bauchi, said in a statement made available to journalists in Bauchi
Across Nigeria, MSF teams revealed rates of malnutrition admissions rose on average 40 per cent from the same period last year.
The organisation disclosed that in Bauchi, 5,787 and 17,223 children were admitted to their ITFC and three local ambulatory therapeutic feeding centres (ATFCs), which support malnourished children before they need to be admitted to an in-patient hospital, between January to June 2024.
It disclosed that the number of admissions is 127 per cent and 123 per cent higher than during the same period in 2023 respectively”
“Although there may be many factors compounding this increase in admissions, the numbers we are seeing are incredibly high,” the coordinator for Bauchi stated.
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“We are only just entering the peak season for malnutrition and our facilities are over capacity and having to expand.
“MSF has been supporting the local health system in Bauchi State since 2012 by responding to outbreaks of diseases such as cholera, diphtheria, and Lassa fever, providing medical care, training medical staff, and conducting health promotion activities amongst the community.
“Since 2022, MSF has been responding to the huge numbers of children suffering from malnutrition and currently runs a 250-bed ITFC and an inpatient paediatric department (IPD) in Kafin Madaki General Hospital.
“We also operate three ATFCs in Kafin Madaki, Kafin Liman and Miya primary healthcare centres.
In addition, new community-level activities are planned. Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM/iCCM+), which aims to expand on the existing community approach and include the treatment of malnutrition at a community level. This will be piloted in eight villages in Miya, starting in mid-July. MSF added malnutrition to the conventional iCCM activities which include malaria, diarrhoea, and malnutrition diagnosis to respond to the increasing number of admissions for malnutrition in the region.
“Given the multifaceted causes of malnutrition, it is imperative that the response is equally comprehensive and spans multiple sectors. This includes not only treatment but also preventative measures and livelihood enhancements. Recognising the geographically widespread nature of the needs, the response must mirror this extent, ensuring a broad and multidisciplinary approach”. Nathalie Avril, Nutrition Advisor MSF
The ‘Parent MUAC’ (mid-upper arm circumference) activity will also be implemented in Bauchi state. This activity is to train the parents and caretakers of the children to use the MUAC at home, to monitor and detect malnutrition at an early stage, before it develops into severe cases.
“Despite the collective efforts, many challenges remain like limited access to healthcare, number of qualified medical staff in health facilities, provisions of medications and ready-to-use therapeutic foods, which are essential to treat children with malnutrition. It is crucial that Bauchi state representatives, national and international stakeholders work together and expand the response to prevent further increase in numbers in the years to come.”
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