MSF links mental health to malnutrition in Northern Nigeria

 Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) says addressing intelligence wellness alongside carnal attraction is cardinal to breaking the rhythm of malnutrition among children and caregivers successful bluish Nigeria.

Kauna Bako, MSF’s Mental Health Supervisor successful Bauchi, made the connection to people World Mental Health Day 2025, commemorated annually connected Oct. 10.

This 2025 taxable is “Access to Services – Mental Health successful Catastrophes and Emergencies.”

Bako noted that the fig of malnourished children admitted into MSF’s nutrition programmes had steadily risen implicit the years, with important increases recorded crossed aggregate bluish Nigerian states.

In 2024 alone, much than 300,000 malnourished children were treated successful Zamfara, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Bauchi, Borno, and Sokoto, a 25 per cent emergence compared to 2023 figures, according to MSF data.

She emphasised that malnutrition was not lone a aesculapian condition, but besides a intelligence load affecting some the kid and the caregiver’s intelligence wellness and affectional well-being.

“Malnutrition is 1 illness that doesn’t conscionable impact the kid physically. It has psychological, emotional, and behavioural implications,” Bako stated, calling for integrated attraction strategies.

“Children suffering from malnutrition often go withdrawn, irritable, oregon emotionally detached and whitethorn miss cardinal developmental milestones during important aboriginal stages of growth.

“The kid is feeling detached, bittersweet that helium cannot play similar different children, and is trying to recognize what is going connected with him,” she explained.

According to Bako, the narration betwixt intelligence wellness and malnutrition is profoundly interconnected. Each information tin worsen oregon trigger the different if not addressed holistically.

“They are 2 sides of the aforesaid coin. Malnutrition tin pb to intelligence wellness problems, and intelligence wellness problems tin pb to malnutrition,” she said.

She cited tract experiences from Niger and Nigeria, noting that erstwhile intelligence wellness services were integrated with nutrition programmes, children gained value faster and infirmary stays were reduced.

Bako said caregivers, particularly mothers, besides suffered immense intelligence accent erstwhile their children were admitted for terrible acute malnutrition attraction successful MSF-supported facilities.

“At triage, the emotions you volition find astir salient are anxiety, stress, and fear. The caregiver is not truly comfortable; she’s worried,” Bako said of archetypal infirmary encounters.

According to her, galore mothers consciousness helpless oregon blasted themselves.

She highlighted the urgent request for intelligence enactment to guarantee caregivers could besides retrieve and enactment their children effectively.

“If the parent is not capable to negociate her ain stress, it whitethorn unconsciously spill implicit to the child,” she warned, advocating for caregiver-focused intelligence wellness interventions.

MSF’s intelligence wellness squad provides psycho-stimulation sessions, psychoeducation, enactment groups, recreational activities, and idiosyncratic counselling to some malnourished children and their caregivers.

Bako added that each MSF unit – including doctors, nurses, and enactment unit – are trained successful intelligence archetypal assistance and effectual connection to physique spot and guarantee diligent safety.

“Communication is sometimes work treatment. When the parent feels listened to, erstwhile the kid feels harmless with the doc oregon nurse, that already is treatment,” Bako said.

By addressing some carnal and intelligence needs, MSF aimed to reconstruct dignity, resilience, and anticipation for children and families affected by malnutrition successful the region.

“Since 2022, MSF has raised concerns astir worsening malnutrition trends successful bluish Nigeria, arsenic conflict, displacement, and nutrient insecurity proceed to interaction kid wellness outcomes.

“Between January and June 2025, MSF admitted 32,940 severely malnourished children to inpatient therapeutic feeding centres and treated 136,255 children successful outpatient facilities crossed bluish Nigeria.

“During the aforesaid period, MSF conducted 30,880 intelligence wellness sessions.

“In Bauchi alone, since 2024, 113,191 malnourished children and caregivers person received intelligence wellness support, the organisation reported.”

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