Combating Child Malnutrition in Maiduguri, Northeast Nigeria

Currently, of the 1.3 million children under five in Borno State, approximately 420,000 (32%) suffer from severe acute malnutrition. This state of six million inhabitants has been severely impacted by the Boko Haram insurgency, resulting in high levels of insecurity and significant population displacement. The Abbaganaram PHC serves as the sole medical facility for 45,000 people in the area, the majority of whom are displaced and vulnerable. In 2025, with MdM’s assistance, the facility screened more than 8,200 children for malnutrition and admitted 1,750 into its Outpatient Therapeutic Program.

Supported by the GFFO, Médecins du Monde is strengthening the nutritional department at the Abbaganaram health facility through a proactive screening and treatment program. Every child entering the center, whether as a patient or simply accompanying a parent, undergoes mandatory nutritional screening to ensure no case of malnutrition goes undetected. For children under five diagnosed with Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM), the facility provides immediate intervention using Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF). This highly nutritious peanut-based paste is ideal for resource-limited settings as it requires no cooking, water, or refrigeration. Caregivers receive 40 sachets every two weeks to facilitate steady weight gain, alongside comprehensive training from medical staff on proper hygiene and administration.

In cases where a child is diagnosed with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), the facility acts as a vital link to advanced medical intervention. These high-risk cases are immediately referred to secondary healthcare facilities through a streamlined protocol designed to ensure timely, life-saving care. By combining on-site treatment for moderate cases with an efficient referral system for the most critical patients, the program creates a robust safety net for vulnerable children in the region.

In addition, MdM provides gross monitoring of the nutrition department and informatics tools for recording and analysing data to improve and adapt the assistance provided. In order to raise awareness among the local population about the dangers of malnutrition, group sessions are organised every week for pregnant and breastfeeding women attending the health centre.

Maryam, Fatou and Bintu* came to Abbaganaram facility with their children, all of whom are under two years old. They sit on a mat in the shade of the nutrition department, their children on their laps, while they receive medical guidance from the staff. Their children are currently being treated for MAM and require RUTF to regain weight before their conditions deteriorate.

This is not Maryam’s first visit in Abbaganaram. She lives in the area, like Fatou and Bintu, and has brought several of her children to the center when they were younger and suffering malnutrition. A few years ago, she lost a child to malnutrition and refuses to let that happen again.

Fatou explains that the situation in Maiduguri is very complicated and that she does not have the means to feed her children properly every day. With her 6-month-old son sleeping in her arms, she expresses gratitude to the medical staff for their help and for providing her son with RUTF treatment. ‘Without Abbaganaram Health Center and the help of MdM, it would be very difficult to keep our children healthy here.’

Bintu smiles as she repeats the gestures and practices taught by the medical staff for using RUTF sachets in accordance with basic hygiene rules. She finds these explanations very interesting and wishes she had heard some of the advice earlier.

Aisha* has been working in Abbaganaram’s nutrition department for eight years, caring for children and their mothers every day. She emphasises the importance of such a service in a health centre in a city like Maiduguri, and the dangers of reducing funding. The support of MdM and GFFO is essential to the smooth running of the service, without them, they would be forced to drastically reduce it or even close it down. She points to the children and explains that once RUTF treatment begins, it is vital to complete the full course to prevent children from relapsing into acute malnutrition. “I am proud of the work we are doing here,” she says. “We must continue, for our children.”

Médecins du Monde is providing integrated nutrition services in eight health facilities, including Abbaganaram PHC, in north-west and north-east Nigeria. With the support of the GFFO, 23,000 children are screened and treated for malnutrition each year.

* Names have been changed to protect the identity of the individuals.