NGO treats 30,000 malnourished children in Katsina

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, a charity that provides humanitarian medical care, says it treated 30,000 malnourished children between January 2023 and June 2023 in Katsina State.

The group’s Health Promotion Manager, Madam Elsie Siboe, disclosed this at an event to commemorate the 2023 World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) on Wednesday in Katsina.

Our correspondent reports that World Breastfeeding Week is an annual celebration held from Aug. 1 to Aug. 7 to raise awareness about the benefits of breastfeeding to nursing mothers, babies, families, societies and nations.

The week-long event is celebrated in more than 120 countries and has “Let’s Make Breastfeeding and Work, Work” as the theme for 2023.

According to her, the malnourished children were treated in eight health facilities across the state.

She explained that data of malnutrition in the state is quite alarming, adding that “there is an urgent need for government to intervene to eradicate the scourge.

“Within our facilities, we were able to treat 6,000 children, where we have a 340-bed capacity and we are expecting that it might increase.”

Siboe said MSF, a non-government organisation of French origin known for its projects in conflict zones and in countries affected by endemic diseases, was already providing nutritional services to malnourished children in 10 health facilities in Katsina.

She added that such services were especially in Mashi and Jibia local government areas of the state.

Our correspondent recalled that a recent report indicated that Katsina State has the highest number of malnourished children in the country.