Hunger, Malnutrition Threaten Lives of Thousands of Children in Bauchi

Bauchi State in northeast Nigeria is experiencing a severe crisis of hunger and malnutrition that is threatening the lives of thousands of children.

The crisis, reports say, has reached emergency proportions, with cases of malnutrition in hospitals and clinics rising astronomically in recent months.

Between January and June 2024, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) observed a sharp increase in malnutrition cases in Bauchi. Its inpatient therapeutic feeding center admitted over 5,780 children, a 127% increase from the same period in 2023. Over 17,220 children were also treated in outpatient facilities, a 123% uptick in outpatient cases. MSF has publicly decried the strain these numbers have placed on its facilities, with treatment centers operating above capacity.

As a result of the overwhelming need, the organization has been forced to ramp up its services to assist more children in receiving the urgent care that they need.

The crisis is a culmination of a number of factors that have come together, including limited availability of proper food, lack of healthcare facilities, and chronic poverty in the region. For many families, the unaffordability of staple foods has led to malnourishment among children, which is compounded by the lack of availability of medical facilities to cure and manage such conditions.

In an attempt to mitigate the impacts of the crisis, Bauchi State Government has embarked on some activities aimed at curbing malnutrition. One of its key efforts involves the establishment of “nutrition corners” in some primary health centers across the state. The centers are part of numerous interventions for enlightening pregnant and lactating women on ways of preparing nutritional food using locally available foods. Together with organizations such as Care Nigeria, the government hopes to raise awareness of proper nutrition and reduce the incidence of malnutrition.

Nevertheless, despite all these interventions, there are tremendous challenges. The state continues to have a shortage of qualified health personnel, and the therapeutic foods that are so vital in supplies are in limited amounts. These diminish the effect of the interventions and exacerbate the already poor situation.

Experts are demanding more coordination among state, national, and international actors to tackle the underlying causes of the malnutrition crisis in Bauchi. They contend that more integrated solutions are necessary, such as enhancing access to health services, food security, and education on nutrition. If prompt and concerted action is not taken, the lives and health of thousands of children in the area continue to be in danger.

With the situation still unfolding, humanitarian organizations and state government are appealing for immediate intervention to halt the loss of life and see children in Bauchi receive the attention they so desperately need.