Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) says addressing psychological well being alongside bodily remedy is essential to breaking the cycle of malnutrition amongst youngsters and caregivers in northern Nigeria.
Kauna Bako, MSF’s Psychological Well being Supervisor in Bauchi, made the assertion to mark World Psychological Well being Day 2025, commemorated yearly on Oct. 10.
This 2025 theme is “Entry to Providers – Psychological Well being in Catastrophes and Emergencies.”
Bako famous that the variety of malnourished youngsters admitted into MSF’s diet programmes had steadily risen over time, with important will increase recorded throughout a number of northern Nigerian states.
In 2024 alone, greater than 300,000 malnourished youngsters have been handled in Zamfara, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Bauchi, Borno, and Sokoto, a 25 per cent rise in comparison with 2023 figures, in response to MSF information.
She emphasised that malnutrition was not solely a medical situation, but in addition a psychological burden affecting each the kid and the caregiver’s psychological well being and emotional well-being.
“Malnutrition is one illness that doesn’t simply have an effect on the kid bodily. It has psychological, emotional, and behavioural implications,” Bako acknowledged, calling for built-in care methods.
“Youngsters affected by malnutrition typically change into withdrawn, irritable, or emotionally indifferent and will miss key developmental milestones throughout essential early phases of development.
“The kid is feeling indifferent, unhappy that he can’t play like different youngsters, and is attempting to grasp what’s going on with him,” she defined.
In line with Bako, the connection between psychological well being and malnutrition is deeply interconnected. Every situation can worsen or set off the opposite if not addressed holistically.
“They’re two sides of the identical coin. Malnutrition can result in psychological well being issues, and psychological well being issues can result in malnutrition,” she stated.
She cited subject experiences from Niger and Nigeria, noting that when psychological well being companies have been built-in with diet programmes, youngsters gained weight quicker and hospital stays have been lowered.
Bako stated caregivers, particularly moms, additionally suffered immense psychological stress when their youngsters have been admitted for extreme acute malnutrition remedy in MSF-supported services.
“At triage, the feelings you will see that most outstanding are nervousness, stress, and concern. The caregiver isn’t actually snug; she’s frightened,” Bako stated of preliminary hospital encounters.
In line with her, many moms really feel helpless or blame themselves.
She highlighted the pressing want for psychological assist to make sure caregivers might additionally get better and assist their youngsters successfully.
“If the mom isn’t capable of handle her personal stress, it could unconsciously spill over to the kid,” she warned, advocating for caregiver-focused psychological well being interventions.
MSF’s psychological well being workforce offers psycho-stimulation periods, psychoeducation, assist teams, leisure actions, and particular person counselling to each malnourished youngsters and their caregivers.
Bako added that every one MSF employees – together with medical doctors, nurses, and assist personnel – are educated in psychological first help and efficient communication to construct belief and guarantee affected person security.
“Communication is usually service remedy. When the mom feels listened to, when the kid feels protected with the physician or nurse, that already is remedy,” Bako stated.
By addressing each bodily and psychological wants, MSF aimed to revive dignity, resilience, and hope for youngsters and households affected by malnutrition within the area.
“Since 2022, MSF has raised considerations about worsening malnutrition traits in northern Nigeria, as battle, displacement, and meals insecurity proceed to impression little one well being outcomes.
“Between January and June 2025, MSF admitted 32,940 severely malnourished youngsters to inpatient therapeutic feeding centres and handled 136,255 youngsters in outpatient services throughout northern Nigeria.
“Throughout the identical interval, MSF performed 30,880 psychological well being periods.
“In Bauchi alone, since 2024, 113,191 malnourished youngsters and caregivers have obtained psychological well being assist, the organisation reported.”
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