Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) treated nearly 26,000 malnourished children in Katsina state in 2025, with malaria identified as a leading complication. The acting MSF Medical Team Leader in Katsina, Dr. Ali Baba Nuradeen, disclosed this while speaking to journalists on Saturday during World Malaria Day commemorations. He said malaria consistently ranked among the top three illnesses affecting admitted children, often occurring alongside acute watery diarrhoea and sepsis.
Malnutrition weakens immune systems, increasing vulnerability to severe malaria, while repeated malaria infections can worsen nutritional status due to vomiting and poor appetite. At MSF facilities, every admitted child is screened for malaria upon entry, with immediate treatment provided for confirmed cases. All children receive mosquito nets as part of their treatment kits to prevent reinfection after discharge.
Dr. Nuradeen noted that Africa accounts for 95 per cent of global malaria cases and deaths, with Nigeria among the most affected countries. He cited early data showing a reduction in malaria cases between 2024 and 2025 across several states where malaria vaccines were introduced alongside existing prevention measures. This decline, he said, suggests malaria elimination is achievable if interventions are sustained and expanded.
Dr. Ali Baba Nuradeen says malaria is preventable and treatable, yet 26,000 malnourished children in Katsina still required emergency care in 2025. The scale of admissions reveals how little preventive healthcare reaches vulnerable children despite known solutions. If mosquito nets and vaccines are working, their impact has not yet translated into fewer sick children in Katsina. The gap between policy success claims and hospital reality remains wide.
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