Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has intensified its medical response in Maiduguri, Borno State, following a sharp rise in child malnutrition cases that has stretched facilities to their limits for more than a month.
According to MSF, admissions peaked in late August and early September, forcing its teams to nearly double bed capacity at the Inpatient Therapeutic Feeding Centre (ITFC) in Nilefa Kiji Hospital. At the height of the crisis, the emergency facility was receiving an average of 85 new admissions daily. Although numbers have since eased slightly, MSF says caseloads remain alarmingly high.
“In just a month, our units were overwhelmed by a combination of severe malnutrition and a surge in measles cases,” said MSF Project Coordinator Daniela Batista. “Even after expanding capacity, our isolation units have remained around 70 percent full.”
Between August and early September, MSF treated 3,265 malnourished children at its Shuwari extension facility and referred 1,521 others for ongoing care. Over 625 malnourished children were also treated for measles, a disease that worsens malnutrition and leads to life-threatening complications.
The crisis has been compounded by reduced humanitarian funding, which has forced several aid groups in Maiduguri to scale back or withdraw outpatient nutrition services. This has left many children without access to early intervention, pushing more cases to critical levels.
Shortages of essential supplies, particularly therapeutic milk and ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), have further strained operations. Some partner facilities now only accept referrals if MSF provides additional supplies, including antibiotics and admission kits.
MSF also highlighted challenges in reaching Zabarmari, a nearby community affected by insecurity and logistical constraints, while engaging with the Borno State Ministry of Health to support the local Primary Health Centre.
The situation in Maiduguri reflects a wider crisis, with similar surges recorded in MSF facilities across Kebbi, Sokoto, Kano, Katsina, and Bauchi States. The United Nations estimates that 2.5 million children in northeast Nigeria are at risk of acute malnutrition.
MSF has urged authorities and humanitarian partners to urgently strengthen supply chains, increase staffing, and bolster community-level health systems to prevent further deterioration.
