Bauchi State has recorded a high rate of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition, with data showing that about 50,000 children were severely affected and on the verge of losing their lives. Nutrition experts and organizations attribute the increase to household poverty and the biting hardship caused by economic reforms. Families can no longer afford nutritious foods, and many pregnant women bear the brunt, particularly among rural dwellers.
Mother's Story of Recovery
Habiba Ibrahim, a resident of Kwankiyel, 18km from Darazo Town, had her first son in July 2024—a malnourished baby. She feared losing her first child to a lack of micronutrients as the boy rapidly declined into severe malnutrition. Her visit to the Darazo Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM) centre proved lifesaving. Habiba received 14 sachets of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) for a week. She visited the facility three weeks ago. “I brought him here. When they weighed him, he was 6.2kg but after three weeks of taking the RUTF, he looks so healthy, and that gives me more joy. It gives me peace of mind, and I can’t explain how glad I am today. His last weight is now 12.3kg,” she said.
Government-UNICEF Collaboration
Recognizing the imminent danger of the growing rate of malnourished children, the Bauchi State government leveraged the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF) anchored by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Under the matching fund, RUTF and Small-Quantity Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements (SQ-LNS) are provided. Through this partnership, nutrition commodities valued at N600 million have been procured, including over 4,562 cartons of RUTF and 15,419 cartons of SQ-LNS.
Hundreds of women across Bauchi State are now trooping out to take the supplements, and massive recoveries from malnutrition are being recorded. According to Abdullahi Bello, a nutrition officer at the IMAM centre in Darazo LGA, the sudden surge in uptake is because mothers have been inviting others to enroll their children after seeing significant improvements. Bello said the centre received 400 cartons of RUTF from the state government, and favorable feedback has been recorded in the treatment of the menace.
Economic Hardship Driving Malnutrition
A nutrition specialist with the UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, Philomena Irene, attributed the increase in malnourished children to economic hardship experienced by thousands of households where families cannot provide nutritious food. She said the Child Nutrition Fund has greatly assisted children's chances of survival. Irene disclosed that UNICEF is working with the state to access significant commodities this year. She noted that Governor Bala Mohammed has approved N500 million, which is yet to be released. If released, Bauchi will have a consignment worth N1 billion from the CNF.
Also, the Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Board, Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed, attributed the surge to inflation in the country. “The Federal Government’s survey showed that malnutrition is higher in seven states, including Bauchi.” According to him, Bauchi is one of the first states to use its own money to scale up the fight against malnutrition. “We did this in partnership with UNICEF; we bought N600 million supplements,” he said.
