Bauchi facing unprecedented surge of malnutrition cases – MSF
By ARMSTRONG ALLAHMAGANI, Bauchi –
A medical humanitarian organisation, Medecins Sans Frontiers (MSF), has said that Bauchi, along with majority of northern Nigeria, is facing a malnutrition crisis and is witnessing an unprecedented surge in admissions for malnutrition.
According to MSF, in Bauchi State, 5,787 and 17,223 children were admitted in their Inpatient Therapeutic Feeding Centre (ITFC) in Ganjuwa Local Government Area of the State and three local Ambulatory Therapeutic Feeding Centres (ATFCs), which support malnourished children before they need to be admitted to an in-patient hospital; adding January and June 2024, the number of admissions was 127% and 123% higher than during the same period in 2023 respectively.
In a media statement made available to journalists in Bauchi on Thursday, MSF said that it has been rapidly scaling up the response in the area, as well as increasing bed capacity at the ITFC.
Project Coordinator for Bauchi, Rabi Adamou, said that the MSF is launching the integrated community care management plus (iCCM) to train identified personnel in the community to diagnose and treat malnutrition at an early stage.
He said that across Nigeria, MSF teams have seen rates of malnutrition admissions rise on average 40% from the same period last year.
“We are very concerned by the catastrophic increase in malnutrition admissions we have seen in Bauchi in the first half of 2024. Although there may be many factors compounding this increase in admissions, the numbers we are seeing are incredibly high.
“We are only just entering the peak season for malnutrition and our facilities are over capacity and having to expand,” Adamou said.
The statement said that 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.
He added that, “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 in 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.
“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.” Rabi Adamou, project coordinator for Bauchi.
Also, the Nutrition Advisor MSF, Nathalie Avril, said: “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”.