Friend,

At two years old, Ummul Khairun Mohammed was still unable to walk.

At a Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)-supported inpatient therapeutic feeding center, she received treatment for severe acute malnutrition, which caused developmental delays. She is one of thousands of children under five years old currently being treated by MSF teams across northern Nigeria during the country’s annual peak malnutrition season.

While most children treated for malnutrition will recover, many of those who survive still face lasting damage into their adulthood, including physical and cognitive delays. That’s why MSF is committed to making early interventions and treating children with wraparound care.

Thanks to the generosity of supporters like you, MSF is introducing two new approaches to support our malnutrition treatment: Pediatric physiotherapy and mental health support. Read more about our work responding to the malnutrition crisis in Nigeria.

Learn more about treating childhood malnutrition in Nigeria

“Malnutrition is not just a short-term emergency—it is a lifelong struggle for many children,” says Dr. Jamila Shuaibu Bello, an MSF doctor in the northern state of Kano. “It affects brain development. Malnutrition weakens the immune system, making children more susceptible to communicable diseases. It is also linked to chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension.”

MSF’s innovative work to address this crisis is already showing promising results. Our teams have witnessed children regain motor functions and achieve developmental milestones. Treatments include guided exercises, play-based therapy, counseling, and training for caregivers to continue therapy and manage emotional and behavioral challenges at home.

Learn more about our ongoing work to treat malnourished children and tackle the long-term consequences of malnutrition in Nigeria.

Thank you for supporting MSF and making this work possible.

With gratitude,

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières USA

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