By Sule Aliyu Bauçhi
Dr. Christos Christou, the International President of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), expressed deep concern over the difficult situation faced by the people in Northern Nigeria.
They have been experiencing high levels of malnutrition, frequent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, lack of medical facilities and personnel, all aggravated by ongoing insecurity.
Dr. Christou’s statement was in response to the recent flooding that devastated communities in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, Nigeria.
He made this statement after personally visiting the affected area.
He noted, “During my visit to Nigeria, I witnessed the devastating impact of the massive flooding in Maiduguri, which has garnered global attention due to its staggering scale and its effect on millions of people. However, it’s important to recognize that this is not the only region in Nigeria affected by flooding.”
“People now have to seek temporary shelter in displacement camps once again, rebuild their homes once again, and try to figure out what’s left of their farmland. Because this flooding happened at the end of the lean season, it has deprived farmers of even the illusory hope to harvest,” he added.
In the statement made available to Journalists in Bauchi by MSF, the International President stated that, “When I heard about the flooding that hit Maiduguri, on the top of the extreme challenges people in the region have faced for decades, I wanted to shed light on the challenges impacting people.”
Dr. Christos Christou stressed that, “During my visit to Maiduguri, I went to the hospitals and clinics where MSF works. We support the local healthcare system in tackling malaria and other diseases, as well as in providing access to maternity services. Recently, we had to launch a cholera treatment centre, after a cholera outbreak was officially declared. All this has happened in the background of a catastrophic malnutrition crisis.”
He added that,”One of my colleagues, a Nigerian Doctor, who has been working with MSF for more than Eight years, told me that this year is very different. Every year, he said, during this season, we see terrible numbers of malnourished children coming to the hospital in a severe condition.”
“But this year, at a time when the peak is supposed to be over, the number of patients admitted to the hospital is not going down. Worse, the condition in which they arrive is even more severe than usual. Very often people don’t have access even to basic medical care where they live, and do not have enough money or available transport,” he added.
The MSF International President added that,”As a result, they reach to us too late. Now, many organisations which were providing support in Maiduguri and other parts of the north of Nigeria have had to reduce their budgets or even stop their operations. Will MSF, a non-governmental organisation relying on private donations, be able to help all who are in need? My colleague sounded really scared.”
According to him,”For the past few years, MSF has seen a significant increase in the number of admissions for malnutrition. The numbers in 2022 and 2023 were already critically high. But between January to August this year, we have seen a fifty-one per cent increase in admissions of children with severe malnutrition, compared to the same period last year.”
He stressed, “Over the first Eight months of this year, we have treated 52,725 children with severe malnutrition, a life-threatening condition, across the whole of Northern Nigeria. On top of this, outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles are recurrent in Nigeria, and one of the leading causes of death amongst children.”
He also stated that,”Between January – August this year alone, we had already treated over 12,500 cases of measles. That’s nearly double the same period last year. Outbreaks of infectious diseases significantly increase mortality risks for children under the age of Five.”
“Unvaccinated children in this age group are particularly vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases, diseases which elevate the risk of acute malnutrition.
In addition, there is malaria. Nigeria has the highest rates of malaria in the world – accounting for nearly 27 per cent of the global malaria burden,”he lamented.
Dr. Christos Christou stressed that, “This disease can be prevented and treated. Yet in most of the projects, we see that our malaria wards are overwhelmed, and children continue to die from it. We all clearly see that the scale of the humanitarian crises is devastating.”
He also stated that,”We need to see intensified lifesaving care for malnutrition, with a focus on preventive programmes to act before children become critically ill. Enhancing vaccination coverage requires routine immunisation services, with sustained investment from the authorities to maintain basic health care, alongside catch-up campaigns that extend to children under Five.”
He added that the humanitarian community faces a lot of challenges globally, with the magnitude of emergencies exceeding all imaginable quantities and scale stating, “But in Nigeria, Thousands of families have just lost their crops. They already lack access to basic health care and have been struggling for survival for many years.”
He concluded stressing that, “The humanitarian community needs to act and to provide necessary support now. This is not the time to relent, this is not the time to stop. We have to help the people who need assistance now.”
He emphasized the urgent need for humanitarian support immediately in order to mitigate the effects of the disaster.
