In Kano, northwest Nigeria, a severe health crisis is unfolding as malnutrition and malaria continue to afflict thousands of children. At the Inpatient Therapeutic Feeding Centre (ITFC) in Unguwa Uku Primary Healthcare Centre, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is providing life-saving treatment for malnourished children, many of whom also suffer from malaria.
Zuwaira Muhammad, 26, sits on a hospital bed with her 10-month-old twins—Safwan, peacefully sleeping, and Safuna, undergoing a blood transfusion. Safuna is among over 40,000 children treated for malnutrition in Kano in 2024. Alarming statistics reveal that between January and May, 9,000 of the 14,000 children diagnosed with malnutrition also tested positive for malaria.
“Malaria can reduce appetite and impair nutrient absorption, leading to malnutrition, while malnutrition weakens immunity, making children more susceptible to malaria,” explained Dr. Yanu Mbuyi, MSF Medical Coordinator in Nigeria. Malaria remains a leading cause of death in Nigeria, with the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting that the country accounts for 26% of global malaria cases. Kano alone contributed an estimated 9% of Nigeria’s 68 million malaria cases in 2021, and malaria accounts for 30% of hospital admissions nationwide.
MSF teams in Kano have witnessed a distressing rise in malnutrition cases. In 2022, MSF treated 7,798 children for malnutrition, increasing to 23,800 in 2023 and surging to 46,304 in 2024. “In 2024, we faced a twin peak of malaria and malnutrition, with 36,546 confirmed malaria cases—the highest recorded since MSF began operations in Kano,” stated Dr. Hemmed M Lokonge, MSF Project Coordinator.
In response, MSF expanded operations, opening outpatient facilities in Kumbotso and Rijiyar Lemo, supplementing the existing centre in Unguwa Uku. The 75-bed inpatient facility at Unguwa Uku quickly reached full capacity, leading to the opening of a 90-bed centre at Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital, which filled within two hours.
“Safuna is much better now compared to when I brought her in,” Muhammad shared, having traveled over 40 kilometers from Wudil to access MSF’s services. “She was weak and could hardly move, but now she has more energy and can even laugh.”
Originally launched as a response to COVID-19, MSF’s work in Kano has evolved to include outpatient support and a dedicated malnutrition response. Currently, MSF is the only organization providing inpatient therapeutic feeding services in Kano, with patients arriving from 37 out of 44 local government areas (LGAs), as well as neighboring states.
Since 2022, MSF has raised concerns over increasing malnutrition admissions across northern Nigeria. In 2024, MSF treated over 357,000 malnourished children, marking a 35% increase from the 265,500 treated in 2023. Of those treated in 2024, 75,000 required inpatient care, while 282,000 received outpatient treatment. The malnutrition crisis escalated earlier than expected in 2024, beginning in March—well ahead of the usual peak in July—and lasting until November, raising fears of a worsening situation in 2025.
The crisis stems from multiple factors, including inflation, food insecurity, inadequate healthcare, security challenges, and disease outbreaks exacerbated by low vaccine coverage. Addressing acute malnutrition in northern Nigeria requires a comprehensive strategy, including strengthened healthcare infrastructure, improved vaccine programs, enhanced food access, better sanitation, and community education.
Currently, MSF operates outpatient clinics in only three LGAs—Tarauni, Fagge, and Kumbotso—underscoring the insufficient healthcare coverage in Kano’s 44 LGAs. MSF calls for the establishment of outpatient feeding centres across all LGAs to improve community-based malnutrition management and reduce severe cases. In 2025, MSF will shift its focus to community education, empowering families to recognize early signs of malnutrition before hospitalization becomes necessary.
To prevent further loss of life in 2025, health authorities, international organizations, and donors must urgently scale up interventions to address the worsening malnutrition crisis in Kano and the wider northwest Nigeria region, which remains critically underserved by humanitarian aid.
