Rising Admissions Signal Start of Nigeria’s Malnutrition Peak Season

According to OCHA, an estimated one million children across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states in Nigeria are projected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition in 2026. The greatest impact is expected between June and August, when food insecurity, disease outbreaks and limited access to healthcare converge to place young children at greatest risk.

ALIMA is already observing early indicators of increasing admissions across its nutrition programmes in Borno, Katsina and Yobe states. As needs continue to rise across the region, sustained funding is essential to ensure that every child can  access lifesaving nutrition services and has a chance to recover and thrive.

Beyond the Diagnosis; Living With the Effects of Malnutrition

“Since I was told that my daughter would lose her eye, I have been crying”.

Yiza and her very sick 3 year old daughter, Aisha traveled four hours from Mafa Local Government Area of Borno state to the ALIMA supported University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) after weeks of illness, in search of medical care.

Aisha was first treated for measles at another facility and discharged after two weeks, but soon fell sick again, developing severe edema that caused swelling across her body. During the early days of her illness, one of her eyes became critically swollen and was completely blinded by the time she arrived at the ALIMA supported facility.

After receiving care at the ALIMA supported UMTH, Aisha’s overall condition improved. 

“The ALIMA doctors and nurses were very kind to us, they welcomed us warmly. They told me her sickness was caused by malnutrition. I am very sad to see how helpless my daughter has become, how she struggles to see with one eye. Sometimes when she is frustrated she cries and cries and calls out to me; that makes me cry also but I am happy she survived.”

Despite the trauma and grief, Yiza says she finds comfort in seeing her daughter recover and will do all she can to support her in adapting to her new reality.

A Shared Experience; Farida’s Story

More than 100 kilometers apart, Aisha and Farida share a fight against malnutrition. At 9 months old, Farida was brought to the ALIMA supported ITFC at the Yobe state Specialist Teaching Hospital, Gashua by her mother Aisha after she fell ill with a fever, persistent cough, and loss of appetite. 

 “I was worried when I first noticed she looked smaller than other children of her age. Then she stopped eating, lost a lot of weight and was very weak. I came here after my neighbor told me about the (ALIMA supported) health center in the community where children receive free treatment.”

Farida was diagnosed with malnutrition and was immediately put on therapeutic milk and medication to improve her condition. Aisha says the difference in her daughter’s health has been incomparable since receiving care.

 “I am happy we came here, they (medical team) took good care of her, always checking on her to see if she was eating well and if she had gained weight. She has completely changed from how she was when we first came here. She still looks small for her age but she has gained weight, is now playful and even asks for food herself,” she said with relief.

Aisha and Farida’s stories reflect the devastating consequences that severe acute malnutrition and related illnesses can have on children and families. They also highlight the critical importance of access to specialized nutrition services, particularly during the peak malnutrition season. 

Meeting the Growing Challenge of Malnutrition

In Borno State, between January and March 2026, 7,847 children were admitted for treatment of severe acute malnutrition; ALIMA supported facilities treated approximately 10 percent of these cases. Admissions to stabilization centres across the state have also increased by 65 percent, highlighting the growing need for specialized nutrition services. 

To respond to the most severe cases of malnutrition, in Borno, ALIMA supports stabilization centres at Maryam Abacha Women and Children Hospital and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital in Maiduguri. Together, the two facilities provide a combined bed capacity of 110 beds for children requiring inpatient treatment.

In Yobe State, between January and April 2026, ALIMA supported health facilities in Yobe treated 1,643 children with severe acute malnutrition through outpatient services, with 90 percent successfully cured. During the same period, ITFCs recorded 515 new admissions.

In Katsina state, there was a sharp rise in admissions to Inpatient Therapeutic Feeding Centres (ITFCs), where children with severe acute malnutrition and medical complications receive intensive care; in April 2026 alone, ALIMA supported facilities recorded 508 admissions.

As the number of children requiring treatment continues to rise, health facilities will come under increasing pressure during the peak season.

ALIMA continues to ensure that children suffering from severe acute malnutrition receive the care they need in the OTPs and ITFCs. ALIMA teams also provide community-based nutrition interventions like the family MUAC (Mid Upper Arm Circumference) training sessions that help detect malnutrition so it can be treated before it becomes fatal.

According to Dr Christian Ntowa, ALIMA Medical Referent in Katsina state, many of the children admitted to ALIMA supported inpatient therapeutic feeding centres arrive with severe acute malnutrition complicated by medical conditions such as infections, dehydration or loss of appetite.

“The increase in inpatient admissions suggests that more children are reaching health facilities with advanced and complicated forms of malnutrition. In many cases, they are too weak to eat, play or interact normally. With timely, specialized treatment and close medical monitoring, most of these children can recover and return home in good health.”

He added that children in this condition require intensive inpatient care, including therapeutic feeding and management of associated medical complications.

In collaboration with the Nigerian Ministry of Health, ALIMA continues to support and strengthen local health systems, improving access to timely treatment for severe acute malnutrition and helping ensure that children like Aisha and Farida receive the lifesaving care they need, when they need it most. As the malnutrition peak season unfolds, sustained funding is important to ensure that essential nutrition services remain available for all children affected by malnutrition.

Activities captured here are made possible with funding from the European Union and CDCS.