UNICEF, EU Hail Progress as Nutrition Support Saves Over 40,000 Children in Yobe, Borno, Adamawa

By Yusuf A Yusuf, Damaturu

A European Union-funded nutrition intervention is making significant strides in the fight against severe malnutrition across Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (BAY) states, health officials have confirmed.

The impact of the initiative, supported by UNICEF and implemented in collaboration with state governments, was highlighted during a one-day media dialogue in Damaturu.

The event brought together journalists from the three states to assess progress following tours of key health facilities and a medical warehouse.

Part of the dialogue was a field trip to Gwange Primary Health Care Center, where health workers demonstrated the use of Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) tapes for screening children with acute malnutrition. Officials at the Mairi Primary Health Care Center showcased appetite testing protocols used to determine eligibility for outpatient care.

A visit to a medical warehouse revealed a stock of over 3,264 cartons of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), a critical supply used to treat malnourished children.

Speaking via Zoom during the dialogue, UNICEF Nutrition Manager Joseph Senesie noted that while the lean season, spanning May to September, typically leads to a rise in acute malnutrition cases, early indications suggest stability.

He expressed hope that this year’s figures would not surpass previous levels, crediting EU support for enabling treatment for over 40,000 children in past intervention cycles.

Yobe State Nutritional Officer Hadiza Maina Adamu provided an overview of the current situation, stating that the state is in Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Phase 3, indicating a serious level of food insecurity.

She noted that Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) stands at 10.8% according to 2025 surveillance data, an improvement from 14% in earlier years, though the rate remains critical.

She added that since 2010, treatment services have expanded significantly to include 306 Outpatient Therapeutic Programme (OTP) sites, stabilization centers, and 120 Targeted Supplementary Feeding Programme (TSFP) sites.

Dr. Babagana Kundi Machina, Executive Secretary of the Yobe State Primary Health Care Board on his paper presentation, emphasized that the EU grant has been instrumental in ensuring an uninterrupted supply of therapeutic food and milk, facilitating sustained treatment and community based screening across the state.

Stakeholders described the coordinated effort among UNICEF, the European Union Humanitarian Aid, and the BAY state governments as essential to sustaining life-saving nutrition support amidst ongoing complex humanitarian challenges.