July 18, 2024 — Acute malnutrition rates have reached a serious level, posing a severe threat to the health and well-being of people in north east Nigeria, particularly children. Record levels of food insecurity during the worst lean season in years are leaving communities unable to meet their essential needs. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) calls attention to the alarming rise in cases of children with acute malnutrition across all IRC treatment sites in Borno and Adamawa states in north-eastern Nigeria.
Babatunde Ojei, Country Director for the IRC in Nigeria, said:
“Food security in Nigeria is severely challenged by rising prices and attacks by non-state armed groups hindering humanitarian efforts, hampering access to basic commodities and leading in turn to increased acute malnutrition rates.
“The situation is very critical. In the metropolitan areas where we are working right now, the prevalence of malnutrition has gone from 12% to 16% between 2022 and 2023. The prevalence is likely to be higher in garrison towns and worse in communities where access to humanitarian services is limited. In the areas where the IRC operates, the caseload has doubled compared to previous years.
“In May of this year, the IRC recorded a 70% increase at Mashamari nutrition treatment center compared to the previous year. OCHA also reported the highest admissions rate for children with severe and moderate acute malnutrition in May, which was equivalent to caseloads seen during the peak of the 2023 lean season.
“The humanitarian response faces severe underfunding, especially during critical periods; it is currently funded at less than a third for the targeted support of preventive and treatment services during this lean season.
“To make sure every child gets the help they need, we need smart planning and funding to keep enough supplies and support for healthcare workers. By offering community-based care for severe acute malnutrition that doesn't involve complications, we can provide treatment directly to children's homes. This is especially important when it's hard for families to travel to health centers due to safety issues and economic instability.”
The IRC is one of the organizations in Nigeria that has adopted simplifications to the standard management of acute malnutrition, putting an emphasis on training mothers and caretakers at community level, relying on an easy-to-use, color-coded measuring tape to diagnose a child. Central to scaling this approach is the role of Community Health Workers, able to bring this lifesaving care directly to affected communities, especially in hard-to-reach communities. This will improve program reach, access and coverage which will enable more children to benefit from the treatment program.
The IRC’s new venture, the Movement against Malnutrition, advocates for and champions all radically simpler, scalable and cost-efficient treatment approaches for acute malnutrition - and implements them in affected countries worldwide.