Health
Kaduna State Govt. treats 12,251 malnourished children Official
The Kaduna State Government says it has treated no fewer than 12,251 malnourished children between January and August 2021.
The State Nutrition Officer, Mrs Ramatu Musa, disclosed this on Saturday in Zaria at the end of a two-day third quarter review meeting with Local Government Nutrition Focal Persons (NFPs).
Musa said that the figure was out of the 24,548 admitted at various Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) sites across the state.
She explained that out of the 24,548 children, 16,358 were new admissions, while 8,190 were spillover of untreated cases from 2020.
She also said that 46 children died from the deficiency condition within the period, indicating a significant reduction from the 124 deaths recorded between January and September of 2020.
She said that to manage the situation, government increased the number of local governments providing CMAM services from two in 2017 to 16 in 2021.
She added that the state currently had 82 Primary Health Centres providing outpatient therapeutic programmes to treat severe acute malnourished children with 17 secondary health facilities as stabilisation centres.
Mr Umar Bambale, the Project Manager, Kaduna State Nutrition Emergency Action Plan (KADENAP), said that the government and its partners were investing more on Community – Infant and Young Child Feeding (C-IYCF) practices.
Bambale noted that “C-IYCF is a preventive approach that promotes adequate child nutrition in the first 1,000 days of life.”
He said that so far, a total of 558 health care providers and 1,156 community volunteers were trained on C-IYCF services in 22 local government areas of the state, with only one outstanding area.
He also explained that through support groups, the community volunteers would educate and enlighten mothers and caregivers on optimal C-IYCF practices for a strong growth and healthy development of infants and young children.
“After educating the parents and caregivers, community volunteers who are linked to health facilities will mobilise the caregivers to demand for nutrition services in health centres and refer malnourished children for treatment.
“Also, 100 health facilities across the state are providing maternal, infant, and young child nutrition services, community maternal, infant and young child nutrition services are being provided at the 255 wards in the state”, he said.
The project manager urged parents and caregivers to embrace C-IYCF practices as cost-effective nutrition intervention and visit health centres to access nutrition services.
Dr Zainab Muhammad-Idris, the Project Coordinator, Accelerating Nutrition Result in Nigeria (ANRiN), explained that there was general improvement in the activities of the local government nutrition focal persons.
Muhammad-Idris noted that there was significant improvement in presentation of performance, challenges and issues that required advocacy, particularly funding.
“Malnutrition prevention activities in the local governments are also picking up with a lot of C-IYCF promotion activities being implemented by the nutrition focal persons.
“This is quite encouraging, and we are hoping that with continued support, the NFPs will do better and record more results in the fourth quarter”, she said.
Mrs Chinwe Ezeife, the Nutrition Specialist, UNICEF Kaduna, who supported the review meeting, also commended the NFPs for efforts in supporting the implementation of preventive and curative services in the local government areas.
“Lessons were learnt from their presentations, and we have discussed ways toward addressing key challenges and identified key priority areas for the 2022 Annual Operational Plan.
“However, delay in the release of approved funds had affected the implementation of some planned activities by the nutrition focal persons.
“We are hoping that this will be addressed so that more activities will be implemented in the fourth quarter,” Ezeife told our correspondent
Health
Milestone; Kwara LG Declared Open Defecation Free by FG

Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
The Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation has officially declared Oke-Ero Local Government Area (LGA) in Kwara State as Open Defecation Free (ODF), following a comprehensive validation exercise conducted by the National Task Group on Sanitation (NTGS).
The validation exercise was carried out between 21st and 25th July, 2025 by the NTGS, during which Oke-Ero LGA was assessed in accordance with the revised national ODF protocol. Based on the findings, the LGA was found to have met all required indicators and was therefore approved for ODF status on 27th August, 2025.
The official communication of this development was conveyed to Mr. Olorunfemi Adewumi Oladipo, the General Manager of the Kwara State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), through a formal letter authored by the Director of Water Quality Control and Sanitation at the Federal Ministry; Mrs. Elizabeth Ugoh. The letter was issued on behalf of the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation.
Mrs Elisabeth Ugoh, who congratulated the Kwara State Government and the people of Oke-Ero on achieving this national milestone, noted that sanitation is a continuous activity.
The correspondence described the achievement as a significant step forward in the national effort to eradicate open defecation and commended the sustained efforts of the local government, community leaders, stakeholders, and sanitation partners.
It would be recalled that the NTGS validation team conducted detailed assessments across households, institutions, and public spaces in Oke-Ero LGA, confirming the absence of open defecation and the presence of functional sanitation facilities, hygiene awareness, and sustained behavioural change, all of which are prerequisites under the national ODF criteria.
As part of the formal process, the Minister, Prof. Engr. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, is expected to communicate this achievement in writing to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaqn, as, in line with established national protocol, the Governor is expected to host an official event to commemorate the ODF declaration of Oke-Ero LGA.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner for Water Resources, Hon. Yinusa Lade, lauded the milestone as a testament to the state’s unwavering commitment to improving sanitation and public health. He commended the people of Oke-Ero for their resilience, cooperation, and ownership of the sanitation initiatives, which he described as critical to the sustainability of this achievement.
Hon. Lade, who reiterated the State government’s commitment to scaling up similar interventions across other LGAs, noted that with Oke-Ero setting the pace, the Ministry will intensify efforts to ensure that the entire State is declared Open Defecation Free well ahead of the national 2030 target.
Responding to the announcement, Mr. Oladipo expressed appreciation for the recognition, describing it as a reflection of collaborative effort across multiple levels of governance and community participation. Mr Olorunfemi Oladipo reaffirmed RUWASSA’s continued commitment to supporting other LGAs in the State to achieve similar results.
Mr Oladipo also urged local authorities and stakeholders in Oke-Ero to ensure the sustainability of this status, by adhering to the recommendations outlined in the validation report, which has been enclosed with the official communication.
This development positions Kwara State as one of the leaders in sanitation progress and contributes meaningfully to Nigeria’s broader objective of eliminating open defecation nationwide by 2030, in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
End
Health
Nigeria Records 43,000 Snakebite Annually, Experts Urge Local Anti venom Production

By Hassan Taiye
The Toxinological Society of Nigeria (TSN) has called on the federal and state governments to invest in local anti venom production and strengthen healthcare facilities to curb the rising burden of snakebite envenoming across the country.
This was contained in a communique issued by the Society’s Secretary-General, Dr. Mustapha Shehu Muhammad, at the end of its 2nd Annual General Meeting held between September 14 and 17 at Gombe State University.
The four-day conference, with the theme “Exploring Indigenous Anti-Venom Development and Therapy in Nigeria: Policies, Challenges and Opportunities,” attracted over 1,000 participants, including policymakers, clinicians, researchers, traditional leaders, and students.
Experts at the meeting disclosed that Nigeria records about 43,000 snakebite cases every year, leading to nearly 1,900 deaths, with children accounting for 30 percent of victims.
They identified delayed treatment, the high cost of anti venom, and inadequate facilities especially in rural areas as key factors worsening outcomes.
In his keynote address, Prof. Abdulrazak Habib stressed the urgent need for government and private sector collaboration in developing indigenous anti venom, warning that failure to act would worsen mortality rates and economic losses.
Delegates also visited the Snakebite Treatment and Research Hospital in Kaltungo, describing it as overstretched and in dire need of expansion.
The Society recommended establishing a National Centre of Excellence for Venom, Anti venom, and Natural Toxins Research in Gombe, and upgrading the Kaltungo hospital into a fully equipped National Snakebite Hospital with modern equipment, surveillance systems, and training capacity.
It further urged the Gombe State Government to dedicate at least one percent of its internal revenue to snakebite response, including free anti venom distribution, and to integrate snakebite research and training into the curriculum of Gombe State University.
Headlines
FG Strengthens Border Checks as Fresh Ebola Outbreak Spreads in DRC

By: Fabian Apechihin
The Federal Government has stepped up health surveillance at all entry points into Nigeria following the confirmation of new Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Director of Port Health Services, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Akpan Nse, announced on Friday that airports, seaports, and land borders are now under reinforced monitoring. Additional personnel, backed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), have been deployed nationwide, while thermal scanners at airports are being serviced in partnership with private firms to ensure continuous operation.
Health authorities in the DRC on September 5 confirmed an outbreak of the Ebola Zaire strain in Kasai Province, with 28 suspected cases and 16 deaths, including four health workers. The country, which has recorded 15 outbreaks since 1976, last battled the virus in 2022.
Dr. Nse warned that Nigeria remains at risk due to heavy travel links with the DRC. He said all passengers arriving from Congo or transiting through the country must undergo mandatory screening and complete health declaration forms.
“We have intensified surveillance at every point of entry,” he said. “All arrivals from Congo are screened—by air, land, or sea. We are on full alert to prevent importation of the virus into Nigeria.”
Ebola is a highly fatal disease transmitted through direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of infected persons or animals, particularly fruit bats, which are considered natural carriers.
Want me to also add Nigeria’s 2014 Ebola response as context, to remind readers how the country previously contained the outbreak?
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