By Reloaded News Desk
More than 87,000 children received treatment for acute malnutrition in Katsina State between January and August 2026, with nearly 15,500 requiring hospitalisation for severe or complicated conditions, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has reported.
The figures, released on October 14, show a slight improvement from the same period last year, when MSF treated more than 95,000 children for acute malnutrition in Katsina. However, the humanitarian organisation warned that the numbers remain alarmingly high.
MSF’s medical coordinator in Nigeria, Dr Raphael Kananga, said the situation remained serious despite the decline, adding that the number of children treated was still higher than the level recorded two years ago.
The figures cover children treated through MSF’s four outpatient therapeutic feeding centres in Katsina and do not represent the total number of malnourished children across the state.
The organisation identified poverty, rising living costs, insecurity, displacement, disease outbreaks and extreme weather among the factors worsening the crisis. These pressures can limit families’ access to nutritious food while disrupting farming and household livelihoods.
MSF also raised concern about kwashiorkor, a severe form of malnutrition that can cause swelling of the body and skin lesions. The condition may be difficult for caregivers to recognise, potentially delaying treatment. The organisation has established a specialised unit in Katsina to care for affected children.
There have been some improvements. MSF said the return of displaced residents to their communities has helped some households resume farming and gain better access to food. The Katsina State Government has also expanded treatment services, with the network of outpatient nutrition centres growing to approximately 400.
The state government has committed ₦1 billion towards tackling malnutrition, while UNICEF has pledged to mobilise a matching amount through its Child Nutrition Fund. MSF, however, stressed that such commitments must translate into sustained funding and reliable supplies of therapeutic food.
The organisation called on federal and state governments, international donors and humanitarian partners to strengthen nutrition programmes, warning that progress could be undermined if treatment services lack adequate resources.
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