Médecins Sans Frontières on Thursday disclosed that it treated at least 3000 children suffering from malnutrition in Nigeria, describing it as the largest globally.
The MSF Country Representative, Dr Ahmed Aldikhari, made this disclosure while speaking at a high-level conference on mobilising action against malnutrition in Northwest Nigeria, hosted by the Katsina State Government, the Northwest Governors Forum, and Médecins Sans Frontières, in collaboration with the Office of the Vice President, UNICEF, the World Food Programme, the World Bank, the INGO Forum, and other partners.
Aldikhari said Nigeria was the country where the organisation treats the largest number of children affected by acute malnutrition globally.
“In 2024 alone, we admitted nearly 300,000 children with severe acute malnutrition in our outpatient units across northern Nigeria — accounting for more than half of all MSF admissions worldwide,” Aldikhari disclosed.
According to him, the magnitude reflects both the high burden of malnutrition in Nigeria, particularly in the northern Sahelian regions, and the country’s demographic size.
Aldikhari added that while federal and state governments were strengthening their actions, they needed more support from partners given the scale and urgency of the challenge.
“We are gathered because we share a deep and common concern for the well-being of families and children across Northwest Nigeria. This conference offers a strategic platform to align understanding, strengthen collaboration, and renew commitments,” he said.
