Disease outbreaks
In 2023, we responded to an unprecedented diphtheria outbreak, which started in Kano state and spread across the country. By the end of the year, more than 20,000 suspected cases and 600 deaths were reported. MSF teams treated patients in Kano, as well as Maiduguri and Bauchi.
Our teams also saw an alarming number of patients with measles, particularly in Maiduguri, and responded to outbreaks of other diseases, such as meningitis, cholera, and Lassa fever in Ebonyi, Bauchi, and Zamfara. In addition, we conducted preventive activities to reduce the annual incidence of malaria and called for mass vaccination campaigns to be carried out across the country to curb the spread of preventable diseases.
Malnutrition
The spiraling violence and severe poverty—exacerbated by increased competition over depleting resources as a result of climate change—have left many people vulnerable to chronic cycles of acute malnutrition. In 2023, our teams continued to focus on nutrition activities, working in 32 outpatient and 10 inpatient therapeutic feeding centers across five states in the northwest (Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Kano, and Kebbi). We also increased our response in the northeast, tripling our bed capacity in Maiduguri following a surge in cases, and doubling bed capacity Kafin Madaki hospital, Bauchi state.
As the number of malnutrition cases continued to rise, we stepped up our advocacy efforts, calling on the government and other NGOs to increase their assistance to affected people, particularly in the northwest, where the crisis remains largely unrecognized.
Women's health and sexual violence
Nigeria has one of the worst maternal death rates in the world, after South Sudan and Chad, with more than 1,000 deaths per 100,000 births. Underfunding, lack of access to health services, soaring inflation that makes it difficult to afford hospital fees or transportation, and cultural practices that hinder women from seeking care, are responsible for this shocking record and the high number of women developing obstetric complications.
In 2023, we opened a women’s health clinic for mothers of malnourished children admitted to the inpatient therapeutic feeding center we support in Katsina. We also conduct obstetric and neonatal activities, including surgery for conditions such as obstetric fistula, at Jahun General Hospital in Jigawa state.
In Kano state, our teams support two general health care centers and a clinic for maternal and child health, while in Cross River, we provide emergency obstetric and neonatal care. We also support four basic emergency obstetric and neonatal care centers in northeastern Nigeria.
In Benue, thousands of displaced people who fled armed clashes between farmers and herders are living in precarious living conditions. Our teams working in displacement sites continue to witness extremely high rates of sexual and gender-based violence.
In 2023, we offered a range of services in Benue, including sexual and reproductive health care and comprehensive care for survivors of sexual violence, comprising treatment, mental health support, and health promotion. These services are also available in the towns of Shinkafi, Zurmi, and Anka in Zamfara.
Noma
Since 2014, we have supported the Noma Children’s Hospital in Sokoto, in northwest Nigeria, by providing reconstructive surgery, nutrition, and mental health support, as well as conducting community outreach activities, with a focus on early detection. Most patients who contract noma ─a disfiguring and deadly infection if not treated on time ─are children under six years old whose immune systems have been weakened by malnutrition.
MSF supported the government in the drafting of the National Noma Control Plan, which aims to raise awareness about the disease. In December, after long-term advocacy efforts by our teams, noma was included in the World Health Organization’s Neglected Tropical Diseases list. The inclusion of noma is a significant milestone as it will amplify global awareness, stimulate research and funding, and boost efforts to control the disease.
