Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, is providing free medical services to approximately 2,000 children each month in Bauchi State.
The Project Medical Referent for the MSF Bauchi Project, Dr. Claude Bitaronga disclosed this during a media engagement organized by the Journalists for Public Health and Development Initiative (J4PD), with support from MSF. The event took place in Ganjuwa Local Government Area on Friday.
The engagement focused on strategies to combat malnutrition and other childhood illnesses in the region.
Dr. Bitaronga stated that the services offered by MSF cover a wide range of conditions, including malnutrition, malaria, diphtheria, and measles.
He also highlighted the support received from the Ministry of Health, which provides cold storage and vaccines for routine immunization.
“MSF operates an Isolation Centre for vaccine-preventable childhood diseases such as measles, diphtheria, and suspected Lassa fever cases,” Bitaronga said.
“We offer three free meals daily to both children and their caregivers, in addition to sanitary supplies, medications, and laboratory tests — all at no cost.”
He noted that the organization distributes Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) based on each child’s age and weight. Children who stabilize after initial treatment are referred to MSF-managed centres across eight locations within Ganjuwa.
Dr. Bitaronga added that patients also come from neighboring states like Jigawa and Plateau to access MSF’s services.
“By the end of one week, most children are stable enough to continue care at one of our centres,” he said.
The MSF facility in Ganjuwa admits up to 350 children suffering from severe malnutrition, mostly those between six and 59 months old. It includes specialized units such as:
- A Pediatric and Malnutrition Intensive Care Unit (ICU),
- Several treatment wards,
- A fully equipped laboratory and pharmacy,
- And an Isolation Unit.
On the topic of prevention, the MSF lead explained that community health workers have been trained to detect early signs of malnutrition using the Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) tape.
“This initiative empowers parents to recognize malnutrition early in their children,” he noted.
“We also collaborate with community leaders to raise awareness about the dangers of malnutrition and preventable childhood diseases.”
In her remarks, the Executive Director of J4PD, Ms. Elizabeth Kah emphasized the role of the media in increasing awareness of maternal and child health.
“J4PD will continue to partner with stakeholders to use media platforms in the collective fight against malnutrition in Bauchi,” she said.
She also commended the Bauchi State Government for creating an enabling environment for health interventions and encouraged other stakeholders to emulate MSF’s impactful model.
