Northern Nigeria dey face serious health crisis as severe malnutrition among children don rise by 51% according to Doctors Without Borders, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
In a recent report, MSF reveal say the number of children wey dem admit to their treatment centres with severe malnutrition don increase by 51% for the first eight months of 2024.
MSF treat over 52,725 children within dis period, showing the alarming rate at which malnutrition dey spread. Dis rise in malnutrition dey linked to several factors including poor food availability, economic hardship, and adverse weather conditions.
The National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services also report say production costs for staple crops like rice and maize don increase significantly. Rice production cost rise by 37.8% and maize by 69.7%, making food more expensive and less accessible to many families.
Prof. Emmanuel Ikani, the Executive Director of the National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services, say the dry conditions and flooding across various states in Nigeria have led to lower crop yields and higher production costs, creating a perfect storm for farmers and consumers alike.
