Abuja: M©decins Sans Fronti¨res, also known as Doctors Without Borders, says it treated 444,723 children for malnutrition in Nigeria in 2025.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the Country Representative, Ahmed Aldikhari, announced this during the unveiling of the organisation’s Nigeria Activity Report for 2025. Aldikhari highlighted that 353,989 children with severe acute malnutrition received treatment through MSF-supported outpatient programs, and 90,723 children needing specialized care were admitted into stabilization centers nationwide.
He noted a significant 20 percent increase in the treatment of severe acute malnutrition cases and a 15 percent rise in admissions compared to 2024. MSF teams reported a steady increase in malnutrition cases across northern Nigeria since 2022, with 2025 marking the peak of the crisis.
Aldikhari explained that malnutrition is not solely a result of food scarcity but is also linked to preventable diseases such as measles, diphtheria, meningitis, and malaria, which exacerbate the condition. He identified conflict, insecurity, inflation, displacement, flooding, and drought as major factors limiting access to healthcare services and adequate food supplies in affected communities.
MSF provided inpatient and outpatient care, Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food, vaccination campaigns, and nutrition interventions using locally available nutrient-rich foods like Tom Brown. Aldikhari mentioned ongoing collaboration with key ministries and engagement with the Presidency to ensure sustained national attention to the malnutrition crisis.
He noted that while commitments were made at a major conference for combating malnutrition in the Northwest, current actions remain insufficient. Aldikhari also warned of a growing global funding gap due to donor withdrawal, urging governments and communities to strengthen food systems and healthcare delivery mechanisms.
On disease outbreaks, the Medical Activity Manager, Shafa’atu Abdulkadir, reported that MSF treated 38,753 children for measles and 6,123 for diphtheria nationwide in 2025. Additionally, 985 patients received treatment for meningitis, and 341,239 people were treated for malaria at MSF-supported facilities in Nigeria.
Abdulkadir stated that MSF supported the vaccination of over 300,000 children against measles, meningitis, and diphtheria through nationwide immunization campaigns. She emphasized that many disease outbreaks remain preventable through vaccination, timely diagnosis, safe water access, and early treatment in vulnerable communities.
The Medical Coordinator, Louis Vala, pointed out that despite existing interventions, Nigeria continues to have one of the highest maternal and newborn mortality rates globally. MSF assisted in 33,590 deliveries, conducted 119,469 antenatal consultations, and performed 224 Vesico-Vaginal Fistula surgeries during the reporting period.
Vala remarked that access to emergency obstetric and newborn care is still limited in many rural and conflict-affected areas due to insecurity, high costs, and overstretched healthcare facilities.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that M©decins Sans Fronti¨res has been active in Nigeria since 1996, responding to disease outbreaks, disasters, and emergency health needs across the nation. The organization supports pediatric and maternal healthcare, treatment for malnutrition, tuberculosis, measles, and malaria, and provides mental health services and care for survivors of sexual violence. MSF also conducts reconstructive surgeries for noma and fistula patients, operating in 10 states in 2025, including Bauchi, Borno, Cross River, Ebonyi, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara.