Against this backdrop, ALIMA is pioneering the NutriVax research project in Yobe State, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, to address urgent nutritional and immunization needs. The project aims to simultaneously prevent deadly forms of malnutrition and increase immunization coverage, leading to a virtuous cycle of improved growth and health outcomes for some of the most vulnerable children in Nigeria.
Using Small-Quantity Lipid Based Nutrient Supplements (SQ-LNS), food supplements given to children aged 6-23 months to prevent malnutrition and improve child survival, growth and development, NutriVax is demonstrating how integrating nutrition interventions like SQ-LNS distributions with routine immunization can also increase vaccination coverage and transform child health in vulnerable communities. SQ-LNS comes in a 20-gram sachet which can be mixed daily with the child’s home – made foods or eaten directly from the sachet to improve the child’s complementary feeding and nutrient intake.
Yobe, Nigeria, May 2025. Photo, © Nandak Chingle/ ALIMA.
To provide a clearer understanding, Professor Baba Goni, Principal Investigator of NutriVax in Yobe State, speaks on three key aspects: the scale of malnutrition, its underlying drivers, and why this intervention comes at a critical time.
The malnutrition reality in Yobe
“Here in Yobe State, nutrition is a high priority because it remains one of the states with the highest rates of undernutrition among children,” explains Professor Baba Goni. “The support of ALIMA has brought great relief to the state government through this intervention.”
Malnutrition, he says, is widespread.
“About 40% of the children who present at health facilities suffer from severe acute malnutrition, and a substantial proportion of them have never received any vaccination, what we call zero-dose children. In some communities, measles vaccination coverage is less than 10%. The situation is very dismal and appalling.”
NutriVax was born out of a key question from stakeholders; “how can we better motivate parents to bring their children for vaccination against measles?”
Yobe, Nigeria, May 2025. Photo, © Nandak Chingle/ ALIMA.
Understanding the drivers
Professor Goni notes that locating the project in northern Yobe was a deliberate and strategic choice.
“The northern part of the state bears the highest burden of undernutrition because it is more Sahelian in nature, almost arid. The rainy season is very short, and year after year, drought reduces food production, especially during the lean season. In addition, northeast farming and business activities have been negatively affected by insurgency, thereby affecting family incomes.”
He also listed the high rate of vaccine preventable diseases as another major driver of malnutrition.
“Most of these childhood diseases like measles, pneumonia, diphtheria, which are preventable through routine immunization can lead to acute malnutrition; the harsh climatic conditions, combined with insecurity, economic hardship, and limited access to healthcare, continue to affect the nutritional wellbeing of vulnerable children.”
Why NutriVax is key at this time
For Professor Goni, the timing of NutriVax could not be more crucial.
“This is a very important intervention because it helps prevent many diseases. The immune system depends on the nutrients, vitamins, and proteins a child receives. That is why the SQ-LNS supplement is key to helping our people,” he says.
Beyond immediate health gains, the project’s long term impact could be transformative.
“At the end of the study, we would have scientific evidence to present to policymakers and the international community showing that SQ-LNS can be given alongside routine immunization. This will motivate caregivers to bring their children for vaccination, resulting in healthier, smarter, and more resilient children.”
Abuja, Nigeria, November, 2025. Photo, © Nandak Chingle / ALIMA
A potential model for integration
With 20,000 children enrolled in the SQ-LNS distribution program, NutriVax serves not only as a response but as a strategic model for integrating nutrition and immunization while engaging communities at the grassroots. If successful, it could reduce malnutrition and child mortality, improve vaccine coverage, and offer a blueprint for delivering integrated health interventions in vulnerable communities.
