Severe Malnutrition hits Northern state as poverty bites harder

A severe malnutrition crisis is gripping Kebbi State, leaving children in a desperate fight for survival amid a collapsing healthcare system, according to alarming reports from local monitors and international aid organisations.

In Etene Ward, Gidan Mai Ungwa, Kalgo Local Government Area, the image of a severely malnourished child has become a grim symbol of a worsening emergency, triggering urgent appeals for government intervention.

The situation was brought to light in a MoniTNG report on Sunday, which featured distressing images of a child in an advanced state of emaciation and weakness.

“We encountered a child on the brink of death from malnutrition in a community that feels completely abandoned,” the post read.

The only health facility in the area is described as “barely functional,” lacking qualified medical personnel, essential drugs, and basic equipment.

Residents voiced their frustration, saying they cannot afford treatment or transportation to hospitals in nearby towns, leaving them helpless as their children suffer from conditions that could easily be prevented.

The crisis highlights the devastating impact of poverty and neglect, with families cut off from vital care.

This emergency is part of a wider trend. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, reported a 74.1% surge in admissions of malnourished children to its facilities across Kebbi State between January and June 2025.

 

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MSF warned that August, the peak of the malnutrition season, could see the situation worsen dramatically, with one facility recently admitting as many as 400 children in a single day.

“This is a direct failure of governance and health planning,” MoniTNG’s post said, accusing authorities of ignoring repeated warnings from @UNICEF_Nigeria and other agencies about Kebbi’s high burden of child malnutrition. The post called on the Kebbi State Government (@KBStGovt), Nigeria’s Health Minister (@muhammadpate), and national leaders to urgently rehabilitate the health facility in Etene Ward, deploy trained medical staff, and supply essential medicines and nutrition support.

Experts link the surge to a combination of poverty, seasonal food insecurity, and inadequate healthcare infrastructure.

A study from October 2024 noted that rural areas, such as Kalgo LGA, where only 12-19% of doctors and nurses serve nearly half the population, are particularly vulnerable. World Vision’s 2025 report further warned that 1 in 5 Africans faced hunger in 2023, a trend likely exacerbating Kebbi’s crisis.

Local advocates and MSF are demanding immediate action, including increased supplies of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) and the establishment of mobile clinics to overcome transportation barriers.

“This should never be normal. Children should not have to suffer or die simply because of where they were born. Health is not a privilege—it is a right,” @monitng emphasised, using hashtags like #FixOurPHCs and #EndMalnutrition to rally support.

As the crisis reaches a breaking point, time is running out for Kebbi’s children. Without urgent intervention, the state could lose an entire generation to a tragedy that should never have happened, leaving communities to question when—if ever—help will come.

Credit : parallelfacts