Katsina govt raises alarm over rising child deaths due to malnutrition

The Katsina State Government has raised the alarm over an increase in child mortality linked to severe malnutrition, describing the situation as a public health emergency.

The alarm followed a Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) report highlighting unusually high child deaths at one of its supported facilities in the state.

Governor Dikko Umar Radda visited the centre in July, after which a task force involving UNICEF, MSF, ALIMA, the World Food Programme, and relevant ministries drew up an intervention plan now awaiting his approval.

Speaking at a press briefing, Dr. Shamsuddin Yahya, Executive Secretary of the Katsina State Primary Health Care Agency, said malnutrition is one of the leading causes of illness and death in the state and called for collective action.

“We do not see the MSF report as a complaint, but as a call for everyone to work together to address this problem, which stems from deep-rooted socio-economic factors,” Dr. Yahya said.

According to him, the administration has backed its commitment with funding support of  ₦200 million to UNICEF in 2023 and ₦300 million in 2024 for the supply of therapeutic nutrition products, with UNICEF matching the contributions. Since 2016, ₦250,000 has been provided monthly to 14 priority LGAs for outpatient child nutrition centres, while all 34 LGAs commit ₦1 million each per month to the fight.

Currently, Katsina operates 185 outpatient therapeutic centres and 17 inpatient facilities for severely malnourished children, with the state government funding more than half of them.

Dr. Yahya said the government is also distributing farming tools, setting up mechanisation centres, and monitoring markets to prevent food hoarding.

He expressed concern over reports that some parents sell Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) meant for their malnourished children and warned that mobile courts will soon be established to prosecute offenders.

Dr. Umar Bello, Coordinator of the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) project in Katsina, said more than three million people across the state’s 361 wards have benefited from interventions such as Vitamin A supplements, micronutrient powders, iron folic acid, malaria-prevention drugs for pregnant women, and zinc for children with diarrhoea.

He added that over 1,000 health workers have been trained to promote exclusive breastfeeding for six months, timely complementary feeding, and family planning.

Under the upcoming ANRiN 2.0 phase, preventive programmes and RUTF distribution will continue with support from the World Bank, while ₦700 million has been earmarked by the state government to sustain the effort.

“The governor is committed to both prevention and treatment, working with all stakeholders to safeguard the health of women and children in the state,” Dr. Bello assured.

Katsina govt raises alarm over rising child deaths due to malnutrition