Esther Salifu
A surge in child malnutrition has overwhelmed medical facilities in Maiduguri, Borno State, prompting an urgent scale-up of services by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders.
Since late August, MSF teams have expanded their operations in northeast Nigeria to respond to what the organization describes as an alarming increase in admissions related to severe acute malnutrition, compounded by rising cases of measles.
Although MSF reports that new admissions have slightly declined in recent days, the number of children currently receiving treatment remains critically high.
“In early September, we witnessed a concerning spike in admissions, along with a surge in measles cases,”
“Our measles isolation units filled up quickly, and even the additional spaces we created reached full capacity. These units are still about 70 percent full.”said Daniela Batista, MSF Project Coordinator in Maiduguri.
In response to the surge, MSF nearly doubled the bed capacity at its Inpatient Therapeutic Feeding Centre located in Nilefa Kiji Hospital. By mid-September, the facility was recording more than 85 new child admissions daily.
At MSF’s Shuwari extension facility alone, 3,265 children were treated for malnutrition between August and early September. An additional 1,521 children were referred for further care, while over 625 malnourished children were also treated for measles during the same period.
The organization warns that the situation is being exacerbated by a drop in humanitarian support. Funding cuts have led several aid groups to scale back or withdraw from outpatient nutrition programmes, leaving many families without access to basic healthcare for malnourished children.
“This has created a dangerous gap in frontline care,” MSF said in a statement. “Meanwhile, critical supplies such as therapeutic milk and ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) are in short supply.”
According to MSF, some partner inpatient therapeutic feeding centers have indicated they are only able to accept patient referrals if MSF provides essential medical supplies, including antibiotics, admission kits, and therapeutic milk.
Access challenges persist in rural communities such as Zabarmari, where insecurity and logistical constraints have prevented MSF teams from delivering care. The organization said it is currently in discussions with the Borno State Ministry of Health to evaluate possible support for the local Primary Health Centre.
Borno State, and the broader BAY region (Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe), continues to suffer the consequences of more than a decade of insurgency, which has displaced millions and severely disrupted food systems and healthcare access.
MSF warns that the crisis in Maiduguri is not isolated. Similar surges in child malnutrition have been recorded in MSF-supported nutrition programs in Kebbi, Sokoto, Kano, Katsina, and Bauchi states in recent months.
With resources stretched thin and demand continuing to rise, MSF is calling on Nigerian authorities and international humanitarian actors to urgently address medical supply shortages, strengthen community-level health systems, and increase support to prevent further deterioration.
“The lives of thousands of children hang in the balance,” the statement concluded.
