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MSF Raises the Alarm, Malnutrition Records Now Overwhelming in North East
MSF Raises the Alarm, Malnutrition Records Now Overwhelming in North East
By: Michael Mike
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) otherwise called Doctors Without Borders has raised the alarm that inpatient facilities in northern Nigeria have recorded an extraordinary increase in admissions of severely malnourished children with life-threatening complications, exceeding last year’s figures by over 100 per cent in some locations.
The organisation in a statement on Tuesday said the latest figure was the result of admission records in the last few weeks at facilities in the area, insisting that for MSF teams, this is an alarming indication of a premature peak of the lean season and the increase in acute malnutrition that accompanies it, typically anticipated in July.
Speaking on the situation, the MSF’s Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr Simba Tirima said: “We are resorting to treating patients on mattresses on the floor because our facilities are full. Children are dying. If immediate action is not taken, more lives hang in the balance. Everyone needs to step in to save lives and allow the children of northern Nigeria to grow free from malnutrition and its disastrous long-term, if not fatal, consequences.
“Humanitarian assistance must be urgently scaled up. MSF calls upon the Nigerian authorities, international organisations and donors to take immediate action to diagnose and treat malnourished children to prevent associated complications and deaths, but also to engage in sustained, long-term initiatives to mitigate the underlying causes of this urgent problem.
“We’ve been warning about the worsening malnutrition crisis for the last two years. 2022 and 2023 were already critical, but an even grimmer picture is unfolding in 2024. We can’t keep repeating these catastrophic scenarios year after year. What will it take to make everyone take notice and act?” Tirima added.
According to the statement, in April 2024, MSF’s medical team in Maiduguri in northeast Nigeria admitted 1250 severely malnourished children with complications to the inpatient therapeutic feeding centre, doubling the figure for April 2023. Forced to urgently scale up capacity, by the end of May the centre accommodated 350 patients, far surpassing the 200 beds initially designated for the peak malnutrition season in July and August.
Also in the northeast, the MSF-operated facility in Bauchi state’s Karfin Madaki hospital recorded a significant 188 per cent increase in admissions of severely malnourished children during the first three months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
The statement added that in the northwestern part of the region, in Zamfara state, the inpatient centres in Shinkafi and Zurmi have received up to 30 per cent more monthly admissions in April compared to March. Talata Mafara’s facility saw about 20 per cent increase in the same period. Similarly, MSF inpatient facilities in major cities like Kano and Sokoto are also reporting alarming surges, by 75 and 100 per centrespectively. The therapeutic feeding centre in Kebbi state also documented a rise of more than 20 per cent in inpatient admissionsfrom March to April.
The statement read that despite the alarming situation, the overall humanitarian response remains inadequate. Other non-profit organisations active in the north are also overwhelmed. The United Nations and Nigerian authorities issued an urgent appeal in May for $306.4 million to address the pressing nutritional needs in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states. Yet this will be insufficient, ignoring as it does other parts of northern Nigeria where needs also outweigh the currentcapacity of the organisations to respond sufficiently.
It added that the catastrophic nutritional situation seen in recent years in northern Nigeria calls for a bigger response. Persistently excluded from the formal humanitarian response, reductions in the already limited funding available for the northwest have also dangerously affected the provision of crucial therapeutic and supplementary food. These supplies were completely unavailable in Zamfara for the first four months of this year and are now only available in lower quantities. This reduction has meant that it is only possible to provide treatment for more severe malnutrition cases, compromising an effective response that also addresses malnutrition earlier in its progression and avoids exposing children to a higher risk of mortality.
Tirima said: “We are alarmed by the reduction in aid at these critical times. Reducing nutritional support to only severely malnourished children is akin to waiting for a child to become gravely ill beforeproviding care. We urge donors and authorities to increase supporturgently for both curative and preventive approaches, ensuring that all malnourished children receive the care they desperately need.”
MSF Raises the Alarm, Malnutrition Records Now Overwhelming in North East
Herdsman loses two cows to suspected hoodlums in Adamawa
By: Zagazola Makama
Suspected hoodlums have killed two cows belonging to a herdsman in Shelleng Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
The incident, which occurred on Wednesday at about 3:30 p.m., took place in the Wuroyanka District of Shelleng.
A source in the area told Zagazola that the attackers, believed to be from Bare in Numan Local Government Area, ambushed the herder, Shehu Alhaji Yakubu, while he was grazing his cattle in the bush.
The assailants reportedly killed two of the animals before fleeing the scene.
Police and local hunters later visited the area to assess the situation and appealed for calm among residents to avoid reprisals.
A stakeholders’ meeting has been scheduled to discuss measures to prevent further tension between herders and farmers in the area.
Herdsman loses two cows to suspected hoodlums in Adamawa
News
Over 600 patients receive free kidney dialysis, and other treatment on a monthly basis……………Bego
Over 600 patients receive free kidney dialysis, and other treatment on a monthly basis……………Bego
By: Bodunrin Kayode
Over 600 patients receive free dialysis and additional treatment on a monthly basis at the Yobe State University Teaching Hospital (YSUTH), the Yobe state commissioner of information Abdulahi Bego has said.
He said that the free treatment was initiated by former Governor, Ibrahim Gaidam and was consolidated upon by the present administration of Governor Mai Mala Buni.
The Commissioner of information, Abdullahi Bego said that the increase of cases of Kidney diseases, mostly recorded in Jakusko, Nguru, Gashua, Yusufari and some other communities in Northern parts of the state, Governor Mai Mala Buni has came up with the continuation of the free treatment of all patients to save lives.
Bego gave this hint yesterday in an interactive session with some Journalists at the end of the 2-Day Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) 2025 Quarterly Strategy Meeting of Commissioners for information of All Progressive Congress, (APC) Governed States.
He noted that, yobe state has many cases of kidney diseases, as most of the communities on the shores of Yobe/Kumadugu River in northern part of the state suffered most”.
To address the roots causes of the incident, the Commissioner pointed out that, the State Government has established a Biomedical Science Research and Training Centre located at the College of Medical Sciences, Yobe State University.
The centre is fully equipped with equipment worth billions of naira, even as it is collaborating with University of Sussex, United Kingdom and some Researchers, including a US-based Dr. Mahmoud Maina, to take the place to the next level.
Mains a British-Nigerian neuroscientist and educator whose research is focused on the cellular and molecular pathogenesis in Alzheimer’s disease is expected to bring his expertise to bear in the project.
The impact of the state government’s initiative according to Bego, goes beyond providing immediate relief and medical consumables, but to also delve into the root causes of the kidney disease and prescribe proactive solute. .
He also explained that, Governor Buni who have since declared a State of Emergency in the health sector, has constructed over 400-bed capacity at Mamman Ali Maternal and Child Complex hitherto commissioned by the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
The state of the art facility located within the premises of YSUTH, he added, is not only saving millions of lives, but also serve as referral and research centre in addressing maternal mortality in the North East region.
On social infrastructures especially roads and drainage networks within rural and urban centres, the Commissioner said that, “apart from the ongoing construction of multi billion naira Fly Over within Damaturu metropolis, the state government has completed the rehabilitation of key roads such as Katarko-Goniri and Siminti-Godowoli stretch.
Other interventions are the Geidam-Bukarti, Bayamari-Yunusari, and Yunusari-Kanamma roads, Damaturu-Kalallawa 25.5-kilometer dual carriageway, facilitating access to the Muhammadu Buhari International Cargo Airport, and the dualization of the Abattoir Junction-New Bye-pass Roundabout on Potiskum road to manage high traffic volumes.
Additional projects are the construction of roads connecting various communities, such as Damagum-Gubana, Bulanguwa-Kumagannam, Nguru-Bulanguwa, Danchuwa-Garin Abba-Garin Bingel, Chumbusko-Tagali, Nguru Highway-Karasuwa Galu town, Fika-Maluri, Jaji Maji-Karasuwa town, and Kukuri-Chukuriwa-Dawasa among others”. Bego stated.
The Commissioner further explained that Governor Buni expended N3.5 billion in building four Ultra Modern Sesame Seeds Cleansing, Processing and Packaging processing centres across the state.
These factories he said, are located in Machina, Potiskum, Nguru and Damaturu local government areas, as Yobe state is the largest producer of Sesame seeds in Nigeria as at today.
Over 600 patients receive free kidney dialysis, and other treatment on a monthly basis……………Bego
Man beaten to death over alleged affair with married woman in Bauchi
By: Zagazola Makama
A 30-year-old man has been allegedly beaten to death by a husband for attempting to entice his wife in Lumbu community, Ningi Local Government Area.
Zagazola Makama learnt that the incident occurred at about 2:09 a.m. on Friday when the deceased, identified as Sanusi Tinau, allegedly visited the house of a yet-to-be-identified man to entice his wife.
The husband reportedly attacked Tinau, beating him to a state of unconsciousness before fleeing the scene.
Police operatives responded promptly, evacuating the victim to the General Hospital, Ningi, where he was confirmed dead by a medical doctor.
The report said efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspect as investigation continues.
Man beaten to death over alleged affair with married woman in Bauchi
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Bandits abduct 11 children from farm in Bungudu, Zamfara
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