The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised the alarm over a severe child malnutrition crisis in Kano State, revealing that more than half of the state’s children are stunted.
UNICEF Chief of Field Office in Kano, Rahma Farah, disclosed the disturbing statistics during the official handover of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) in Takai Local Government Area. The intervention was made possible through a joint government and UNICEF Child Nutrition Match Fund initiative.
Represented by Dr. Serekeberehan Deres, Health Manager, UNICEF Field Office Kano, Farah explained that the data means one in every two children in Kano is not growing properly due to chronic malnutrition. He added that over 10 per cent of children suffer from wasting — a condition marked by extreme thinness for height, often caused by recent and severe weight loss.
“Wasting significantly increases the risk of death if not treated promptly,” Farah warned, stressing that child malnutrition remains a critical public health challenge requiring urgent and coordinated action.
He urged increased investment in both nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive programmes, particularly during the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, and called on government agencies, civil society, religious, and traditional leaders to scale up efforts in combating malnutrition.
According to Farah, prioritising child nutrition is one of the most cost-effective strategies for boosting national development.
Kano State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving child nutrition, noting that new programmes targeting maternal and child health had recently been launched. He assured that the state will sustain partnerships with UNICEF and other development partners to reduce malnutrition rates and improve child survival outcomes.
Malnutrition remains a leading cause of child mortality and poor educational performance in Nigeria, with the northern region particularly affected.
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