Three years after the tragic passing of Big Brother Naija star and singer, Patrick Fakoya, popularly known as Rico Swavey, his management and fans have paid emotional tributes to his memory.
In a heartfelt post shared on Monday on X, the management described Rico as a beacon of love and creativity, saying his memory “blooms like a garden of everlasting flowers.”
“On this 3rd anniversary, we remember not just your departure, but the life you lived and the love you gave. Keep resting, Rico,” the post read.
Rico Swavey, who featured in the 2018 Double Wahala edition of BBNaija, died on October 13, 2022, from injuries sustained in a car accident in Lagos.
The incident, which occurred along a poorly lit section of the Lekki-Ajah Expressway, drew widespread grief across the country.
His mother in an interview with Journalist Chude Jideonwo emotionally recounted watching her son die in her arms at a Lekki hospital, pleading for him to “come back to her.”
Amid public speculation at the time, an eyewitness, Sunday Michael, the Uber driver who was with Rico in his final moments clarified that the late reality star was not intoxicated before the crash.
Doren Specialist Hospital, where the deceased was initially treated, also denied allegations of negligence and dismissed claims that its staff filmed him on his sickbed.
Earlier this year, Big Brother Naija Season 10 honoured three late former housemates , Francisca Owumi, Joseph Ada, and Rico Swavey, with a tribute segment and a minute of silence.
Rico Swavey, remembered for his calm demeanour and artistic flair, remains one of the show’s most loved alumni, with his legacy still celebrated across the entertainment industry.
The World Health Organisation sounded the alarm on Monday over soaring numbers of drug-resistant bacterial infections, compromising the effectiveness of life-saving treatments and rendering minor injuries and common infections potentially deadly.
The United Nations’ health agency warned that one in six laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections worldwide in 2023 showed resistance to antibiotic treatments.
“These findings are deeply concerning,” Yvan J-F. Hutin, head of the WHO’s antimicrobial resistance department, told reporters.
“As antibiotic resistance continues to rise, we’re running out of treatment options and we’re putting lives at risk.”
Bacteria have long developed resistance against medicines designed to fight them, rendering many drugs useless.
This has been accelerated by the massive use of antibiotics to treat humans, animals and food.
Antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) superbugs directly cause over a million deaths and contribute to nearly five million deaths every year, according to the WHO.
In a report on AMR surveillance, the WHO examined resistance prevalence estimates across 22 antibiotics used to treat infections of the urinary and gastrointestinal tracts, the bloodstream, and those used to treat gonorrhoea.
‘Flying blind’ –
In the five years leading up to 2023, antibiotic resistance increased in over 40 per cent of the monitored antibiotics, with an average annual rise of between five and 15 per cent, the report found.
For urinary tract infections, resistance to commonly used antibiotics was typically higher than 30 per cent globally, it showed.
The report looked at eight common bacterial pathogens, including E. coli and K. pneumoniae, which can lead to severe bloodstream infections that frequently result in sepsis, organ failure and death.
The WHO warned that more than 40 per cent of E. coli infections and 55 per cent of K. pneumoniae infections globally are now resistant to third-generation cephalosporins — the first-choice treatment for these infections.
“Antimicrobial resistance is outpacing advances in modern medicine, threatening the health of families worldwide,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned in a statement.
The WHO hailed improvements in surveillance but warned that 48 per cent of countries were still not reporting any AMR data.
“We are definitely flying blind in a number of countries and regions that have insufficient surveillance systems for antimicrobial resistance,” Hutin acknowledged.
‘Future threat’ –
Judging from the available data, most resistance was found in places with weaker health systems and less surveillance, the WHO said.
The highest resistance was found in the Southeast Asian and Eastern Mediterranean regions, where one in three reported infections were resistant.
In the African region, one in five infections was meanwhile resistant.
Silvia Bertagnolio, who heads the WHO unit for antimicrobial resistance surveillance, told reporters it was unsurprising that resistance would be higher in places with weaker health systems, since they may lack the capacity to diagnose or treat pathogens effectively.
The differences could also be linked to the fact that countries with less surveillance may test and provide data on fewer patients and only those with the most serious infections, she said.
The WHO has warned that there are not enough new tests and treatments in the pipeline to tackle the growing spread of drug-resistant bacteria.
This is creating a significant “future threat”, Hutin cautioned.
“The increasing antibiotic use, the increasing resistance and the reduction of the pipeline is a very dangerous combination.”
US President Donald Trump and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will on Monday chair a Gaza peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, also attended by world leaders, including the UN chief.
The gathering in the Red Sea resort town will bring together “leaders from more than 20 countries”, Sisi’s office said.
It will aim “to end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East, and usher in a new era of regional security and stability”.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he will attend, as will Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni and Pedro Sanchez of Spain.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will also travel to Sharm el-Sheikh, according to their offices.
The European Council will be represented by its president, Antonio Costa, a spokesperson said.
“The plan offers a real chance to build a just and sustainable peace, and the EU is fully committed to supporting these efforts and contributing to its implementation,” the spokesperson added.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II is also expected to attend, according to state media.
There was no immediate word on whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would participate, while Hamas has said it will not take part.
Hossam Badran, a Hamas political bureau member, told AFP in an interview that the Palestinian militant group “will not be involved”.
Hamas “acted principally through… Qatari and Egyptian mediators” during previous talks on Gaza, he said.
The Kano State Fire Service has confirmed the death of two children who drowned on Thursday while swimming in a stream at Hayin Yawa Gada in the Tudun Wada Local Government Area of the state.
Similarly, the agency also confirmed the death of a man whose body was discovered in a well at Jaba Masaka Shago Tara.
The Public Relations Officer of the agency, Saminu Abdullahi, disclosed the incidents in a statement made available to our correspondent on Saturday.
“On Thursday, 09th October 2025, the Emergency Response Unit of the Tudun Wada Fire Service received a call for emergency assistance from CG Hisba reporting an incident at Hayin Yawa Gada in Tudun Wada LGA at about 14:00 hrs.
“Our men from Tudun Wada attended the scene of incident and on arrival they found two children, by names Habu Sani and Haruna Isah, all about 15 years old, who had entered into a stream passing through a major road that crossed the main road bridge,” it read.
According to Abdullahi, the children drowned “in the water way with the intention of local swimming.
“Our men successfully rescued them unconscious and later confirmed dead and men handed over the victims to Inspector Usaini Iliya of Tudun Wada police division.”
He further explained that another tragedy occurred the following morning.
He said, “The second incident occurred on Thursday, 10th October 2025, at about 08:15 am, when the central control room received an emergency call from P & G Kwalli police division reporting the discovery of a human body in a well at Jaba Masaka Shago Tara.
“Our men from the state headquarters were mobilised to the scene of the incident, on arrival they successfully removed the victim from the well. The victim was handed over to the Ward Head of the area, Ado Idris.”
Abdullahi appealed to parents and communities to be vigilant.
He, therefore, appealed to parents and the community to prevent children from going near puddles and any place where water collects.
In a similar tragedy, a 17-year-old boy, Lurwanu Suleiman, in July, drowned in open water in Dandalama village, located in Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State.
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency, in collaboration with state governments and development partners, has intensified efforts to vaccinate 106 million Nigerian children against vaccine-preventable diseases.
The nationwide initiative aims to raise awareness for the ongoing Integrated Measles-Rubella, Polio, and Human Papillomavirus vaccination campaign, which will run from October 2025 to February 2026.
This large-scale vaccination exercise reflects the agency’s commitment to ensuring that no child is left unprotected while strengthening partnerships between national and state health authorities to achieve improved health outcomes for children across the country.
On October 6, the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who flagged off the Measles–Rubella campaign, described the exercise as a bold step toward protecting the lives and future of children.
Speaking during a road walk and health show in Abuja, the Director of Disease Control and Immunisation at NPHCDA, Dr Garuba Rufai, described the exercise as part of a broad awareness campaign currently taking place across 11 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
“This is part of our awareness campaign for the measles-rubella integrated campaign that is currently ongoing in 11 states and the FCT.
“As we speak, in those 11 states and the FCT, children aged zero to 14 years are being vaccinated with the measles-rubella vaccine and the polio vaccine. The HPV vaccine is for girls aged nine to 14 years, alongside the routine immunisation vaccines,” Dr Rufai explained.
He added that the campaign is being implemented in collaboration with other health programmes, including malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs).
“We are also collaborating with the malaria programme, and we are providing what we call seasonal malaria prophylaxis in a couple of the states. We’re also working with the NTDs programme to manage some of the diseases in states where they are prevalent,” he noted.
According to Dr Rufai, several strategies have been deployed nationwide to ensure that the campaign reaches every eligible child.
“We have all of our social mobilisation efforts, including the use of public announcement vans. We have engaged with communities and different groups — teachers, parents, physicians, ministries such as education, religious bodies, and traditional leaders,” he said.
He disclosed that similar road walks are being replicated across participating states, supported by state governments, the wives of governors, and local government chairpersons.
Rufai revealed that while the first phase of the campaign covers 11 states and the FCT, the next phase will commence soon.
“We intend to vaccinate 106 million Nigerians by the end of February. We’re starting with 11 states and the FCT now. By October 18, we’ll move to the next stream of states, which will complete the first phase for this year. By January next year, we’ll continue with phase two, and also in February,” he explained.
He urged parents and caregivers to take advantage of the ongoing exercise.
“Nigerians should come out en masse and get their children vaccinated — not just for this campaign, but also by taking their children to health facilities for routine vaccines. The diseases are not waiting; they do not know any political party, religion, or tribe.
“When a child catches one of these diseases and develops complications, something as seemingly simple as measles can make a child go blind. Why would anyone wait for that to happen? Why would any woman allow herself to give birth to a child only to lose them before they reach their full potential?” he added.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) FCT Coordinator, Dr Kumshida Balami, emphasised that vaccines are both safe and effective, stressing the need to eliminate diseases that should no longer claim lives in the 21st century.
“We cannot be in this century and still have children coming down with measles or polio. We cannot still have women dying from cervical cancer simply caused by the human papillomavirus — a disease that can be prevented through vaccination,” she said.
She further urged parents and caregivers to ensure that all eligible children receive the necessary vaccines, noting that the goal is to safeguard lives and build trust in the nation’s health system.
Similarly, the Executive Director of the NPHCDA, Dr Muyi Aina, together with the Mandate Secretary of the Health Services and Environment Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, on Friday led a joint monitoring team to assess the progress of the ongoing vaccination campaign.
The monitoring team visited Primary Health Care Centres within and outside the FCT, including the Chikora North PHC in Kogi Local Government Area, Kogi State, and the New Township PHC in Abaji Area Council, Abuja.
A press statement released on Saturday and signed by Mrs Bola Ajao, Special Adviser to Dr Fasawe, noted that the team also visited surrounding communities, sensitising mothers and caregivers on the importance of immunisation and advising them to ensure their children are vaccinated and properly finger-marked as evidence of vaccination.
Dr Aina commended the dedication of frontline health workers and encouraged them to maintain accuracy and honesty in data reporting, stressing that verified data — whether targets are achieved or not — are crucial for effective planning and sustainable health sector improvement.
He explained that the monitoring visits were designed to evaluate coverage levels and workforce commitment, particularly in hard-to-reach areas, and to ensure credible, on-the-spot assessments of field operations.
Aina further assured health providers that the Federal Government is aware of their challenges and is taking steps to address them under the Renewed Hope Health Reform Agenda of the present administration, aimed at delivering equitable and efficient healthcare services across the nation.
“At the New Township PHC, Abaji, Dr Fasawe personally administered vaccines to infants and sensitised mothers on the importance of routine immunisation to prevent child-killer diseases and avoidable deaths. She urged parents to spread the message within their communities, noting that unvaccinated children remain at high risk of contracting measles (rubeola) and rubella (German measles) — viral infections that can lead to blindness, brain damage, hearing loss, congenital defects, and even death.
“Both health leaders commended the turnout and coverage recorded by the vaccination teams so far, urging them to remain proactive and adhere strictly to safety standards. During the visit, the delegation also attended to a 13-year-old patient at the Kogi PHC and recommended follow-up care to ensure effective service delivery,” the statement highlighted.
As the world marks the International Day of the Girl Child, a non-governmental organisation, the Gender Educators Initiative (GEI), has called on the Federal Government to prioritise the creation of safe spaces for girls living in conflict-affected and crisis-prone communities across Nigeria.
The Executive Director of GEI, Shafa’atu Suleiman, made the call on Friday during a sensitisation programme on menstrual hygiene for female students in private schools across Sokoto State, held in commemoration of the International Day of the Girl Child on October 11, 2025
Suleiman expressed concern that insecurity, displacement, and poverty have continued to expose young girls — particularly in northern Nigeria — to violence, abuse, and early marriage.
“Thousands of girls across northern Nigeria are growing up amid crises — from insurgency to banditry and forced displacement. “Many have lost access to education, healthcare, and the basic sense of safety every child deserves. It is therefore imperative that government, development partners, and community leaders act urgently to protect and empower them,” she said.
She explained that establishing safe spaces within internally displaced persons (IDP) camps and vulnerable communities would provide psychosocial support, ensure continuity of education, and offer mentorship for affected girls.
“When girls are safe, educated, and empowered, entire communities benefit. Investing in girls is investing in peace and progress,” Suleiman added.
The GEI boss also urged the Ministries of Women Affairs, Education, and Humanitarian Affairs to collaborate with civil society organisations to design gender-sensitive interventions tailored to the needs of girls in crisis zones.
As part of activities marking the day, GEI organised a menstrual hygiene awareness campaign to educate young girls on how to manage their health during their menstrual periods.
Speaking at Sahaba Academy in Sokoto, the school’s Principal, Mrs Ana, commended GEI for its efforts, while the Proprietor, Ahmed S. Fada, called on the government to give more attention to girls’ education and provide adequate facilities for their comfort and health in schools.
Also speaking, GEI’s Programme Officer, Linda Idoko, encouraged girls to take pride in their womanhood and prioritise their health.
“Being a woman is an amazing thing. Our organisation uses this opportunity to educate the girl child on the importance of menstrual hygiene and how to choose safe products to stay healthy and protected,” she said.
This year’s International Day of the Girl Child, themed “The Girl That I Am, The Change I Lead,” underscores the importance of empowering girls to lead change within their communities.
Reaffirming GEI’s commitment to advancing gender equality, Suleiman stressed that no girl should be left behind due to where she was born or the crises surrounding her.
A paediatrician, Ayobola Adebowale, known as Your Baby Doctor, has explained that some newborn girls may experience light bleeding shortly after birth, a condition medically known as pseudo menstruation or neonatal menstruation.
Adebowale in a video obtained by our correspondent on Saturday said the condition occurs due to hormonal changes after delivery and is usually harmless.
She said,”Your newborn baby can actually menstruate and this is what we call pseudo menstruation or neonatal menstruation, and it occurs because your baby inside your womb was exposed to a lot of your hormones.
“When you bring them out suddenly at time of delivery, they have what we call withdrawal bleeding, which is basically menstruation, and this happens in newborn babies and it’s essentially normal.”
Adebowale advised parents not to panic when they observe such discharge in their baby girls.
“You have no reason to be scared. You have nothing to be worried about. Just observe the discharge and after a few days it will resolve by itself.
“You really don’t have to do anything and you have no reason to be worried and that child is not a witch,” she said.
She, however, added that if the bleeding persists, parents should consult a doctor for a proper check-up.
According to medical research, some newborn girls experience what’s called “neonatal menstruation” or “pseudomenstruation.”
It usually occurs within the first week after birth and is caused by a sudden drop in the mother’s oestrogen levels after delivery.
While the baby is still in the womb, she is exposed to high levels of maternal hormones.
After birth, those hormones quickly fall, and the baby’s uterus may respond by shedding a small amount of blood or mucus, just like a mini period.
Doctors advise parents to seek medical attention if the bleeding is heavy, lasts more than a few days, or occurs after the first week of life, as it could signal an infection or another medical issue.
The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs has called on the Federal Government to take a firmer stance against what it described as false and misleading claims of religious persecution in Nigeria, urging authorities to identify and address the sources of such narratives.
In a statement signed by its Deputy National Legal Adviser, Imam Haroun Muhammad Eze on Friday, the Council said it had observed “the avalanche of refutations by many agencies of the Federal Government of Nigeria, well-meaning Nigerians across religious divides and the National Assembly of the recent false allegation circulating on some international platforms and the social media that there is a systematic genocidal campaign against Christians in Nigeria.”
The NSCIA commended the Federal Government and other stakeholders who had publicly rejected the claims but expressed concern that their responses did not go far enough.
It said, “Council wondered why the government could not, at least for once, go the whole hog by calling a spade a spade, by speaking the whole truth.”
The Council maintained that insecurity in Nigeria affects citizens of all faiths and should not be portrayed as targeted at any single group.
It cited the US State Department’s 2023 Report on International Religious Freedom, noting that “terrorists, bandits and armed criminal groups target mosques and churches indiscriminately in Nigeria.”
The statement added, “In the first half of 2025 alone, terrorists and bandits are reported to have killed at least 2,266 civilians across Northern Nigeria, where Muslims are predominant, leaving over 2 million people displaced and over 7.8 million others in need of urgent aid.”
It also referenced findings by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom 2025 Annual Report, which acknowledged that both Muslims and Christians had been victims of attacks, stressing that the situation “does not take any pattern.”
The council said its decision to remain restrained in the face of allegations and misrepresentations was motivated by its commitment to national unity.
“Council wishes to place on record that its decision to be quiet in the face of all the attacks, innuendos and insults being hurled at Muslims in this country is as a result of the necessity of protecting the corporate existence of this nation,” it stated.
The NSCIA also referred to a comment by the Director of National Issues and Social Welfare of the Christian Association of Nigeria, who observed that insecurity affects all Nigerians, saying: “If they open fire in a marketplace, the bullets don’t look for a Christian or spare a Muslim or even spare a baby.”
Expressing concern about policies it believes could deepen divisions, the Council drew attention to a recent circular by the National Insurance Commission restricting co-insurance between conventional insurers and Takaful operators.
It stated, “This circular of exclusivity, which clearly violates the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act (NIIRA 2025), is intended to further create a divide between the Muslims and the non-Muslims in the country.”
Reaffirming its commitment to peace and coexistence, the council said, “Council strongly believes in one and indivisible Nigeria, and it shall continue to work to preserve this ideal even in the face of the greatest provocation.”
It urged the Federal Government to strengthen public communication and ensure that misinformation capable of fuelling religious tension is swiftly addressed through accurate, evidence-based engagement.
The NSCIA’s statement comes amid growing international attention on religious freedom in Nigeria. Western advocacy groups and international media outlets have accused Nigerian authorities of failing to protect Christians from attacks, allegations which the Federal Government and local religious leaders have repeatedly dismissed as exaggerated and politically motivated.
In September, US Senator Ted Cruz introduced S.2747 — the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025, a proposed law seeking to compel the US Secretary of State to list Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern for alleged breaches of religious freedom and to impose sanctions on certain Nigerian officials.
The bill builds on long-standing recommendations from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, which has consistently urged Washington to apply the CPC designation to Nigeria, citing what it describes as federal and state-level shortcomings in safeguarding religious minorities.
In a plenary debate on Thursday, Senate President Godswill Akpabio warned against the framing of Nigeria’s security challenges in strictly religious terms, cautioning that doing so could distort the reality on the ground and deepen sectarian tension. https://punchng.com/akpabio-warns-against-framing-insecurity-along-religious-lines/
He urged that foreign narratives—particularly from Western media and legislators—should not be allowed to define Nigeria’s security discourse.
Akpabio insisted that terrorists and bandits do not discriminate by faith when launching attacks.
He emphasized that attacks in states like Borno, Kaduna, Benue, and elsewhere have victimized both Christians and Muslims alike, and thus must be approached as national security issues, not religious conflicts.
The Special Assistant to the Kaduna State Governor on School Feeding Programme, Dr Fauziya Buhari-Ado, says the scheme has continued to empower women employed as cooks and supports local farmers.
She also called for stronger humanitarian leadership and strategic partnerships to combat hunger and promote sustainable economic transformation across Africa.
Dr. Fauziya, who made the call while receiving the 2025 4th Humanitarian Bootcamp Award in Nairobi, Kenya, according to a statement she personally signed and released on Friday morning.
In her presentation, titled “Feeding the Future: Leveraging Humanitarian Leadership to Achieve Food Security and Economic Transformation in Africa,” Dr. Buhari-Ado expressed profound appreciation to Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State, for his vision, trust, and leadership in championing the Kaduna State School Feeding Programme, a flagship social intervention that provides daily meals to thousands of schoolchildren across the state.
“Governor Uba Sani’s confidence in my capacity to serve has made it possible to impact the lives of children across Kaduna State,” she stated. “Under his leadership, the School Feeding Programme has become a model of inclusive development — improving nutrition, boosting school attendance, empowering women, and supporting local farmers.”
She described the initiative as a holistic approach that strengthens multiple sectors of the economy, noting that every meal served goes beyond nourishment to symbolise hope, care, and opportunity for the next generation.
“Each meal we provide is not just food; it is a bridge to learning, a shield against poverty, and a promise that we see these children, we care for them, and we will not abandon them,” Dr. Buhari-Ado said. “Feeding our children is not charity — it is nation-building.”
She further stressed that food security must be viewed as a strategic pillar of Africa’s social and economic development, adding that eradicating hunger is essential to ensuring stability, productivity, and peace across the continent.
Dr. Buhari-Ado also paid tribute to outstanding women leaders who have played pivotal roles in advancing humanitarian and leadership development across Africa. She commended Dr. Martina Nentawe Yilwatda, Patron of the Women’s Leadership Network, for her foresight and mentorship, and Mrs. Deborah Hornecker, the Network’s founder, for her resilience and commitment to women’s empowerment.
“The Women’s Leadership Network represents a powerful platform for collaboration and transformation,” she noted. “It brings together professional women from diverse sectors to drive inclusion, social impact, and leadership development across communities.”
In her closing remarks, Dr. Buhari-Ado urged governments, development partners, civil society organizations, and the private sector to work collectively to end hunger in Africa.
“When the day comes that no African child — and no African adult — goes to bed hungry, we will know that we have truly fed the future — not through power, but through humanity, compassion, and love,” she concluded.
The school feeding programme in Kaduna state is funded annually with over N4bn, according to data by the state government.
The state also noted that it feeds over 730,000 pupils and has over 7,000 cooks employed to prepare meals in a total of 3,400 schools.
The scheme aims to increase enrollment, support the local economy, and improve the nutrition of pupils.
Similarly, on October 3, 2025, President Bola Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to reducing child malnutrition and improving school enrolment through the Renewed Hope Mo’Feed Project, a school feeding and empowerment initiative designed to reach over 600,000 vulnerable Nigerians across the six geopolitical zones.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on School Feeding, Dr. Yetunde Adeniji, who represented the President, said this at the official launch of the project in Lagos.
She said the initiative aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda by tackling food insecurity, poverty, and gaps in education.
As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark World Mental Health Day, international medical organisation, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières has drawn attention to the hidden mental health impact of child malnutrition across northern Nigeria, calling for an integrated approach that treats both body and mind.
According to MSF, the burden of malnutrition in the region has reached alarming levels. In 2024 alone, over 300,000 malnourished children were treated in the organisation’s facilities across Zamfara, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Bauchi, Borno, and Sokoto states — a 25 per cent increase from the previous year.
Beyond the visible physical toll, MSF says malnutrition leaves deep psychological scars on children and their caregivers.
“Malnutrition doesn’t just affect the child physically,” explained Kauna Hope Bako, MSF’s Mental Health Supervisor in Bauchi.
“It has psychological, emotional, and behavioural implications”, he added.
Bako noted that malnourished children often become irritable, withdrawn, or unresponsive, struggling to meet developmental milestones such as walking and talking.
“The child feels detached, sad that he cannot play like others. He’s in pain—not just from hunger, but from the infections that come with it,” she added.
The link between malnutrition and mental health, according to MSF, is two-way. Emotional neglect, stress, or abuse can contribute to malnutrition, while poor nutrition can, in turn, worsen psychological distress. “They’re two sides of the same coin,” Bako said.
To tackle this, MSF has introduced mental health support in its 12 inpatient and over 30 outpatient feeding centres across northern Nigeria. Each centre features a playroom where daily mental health sessions are held for children and their caregivers. These include psycho-stimulation therapy, stress management training, support groups, recreational sessions, and individual counselling.
Recognising that caregivers also bear a heavy emotional burden, Bako said:
“If the mother is not able to manage her own stress, it may unconsciously spill over to the child. That’s why we also care for caregivers.”
MSF has also begun training all its medical staff—doctors, nurses, and support workers—in psychological first aid and effective communication.
“Communication is sometimes treatment,” Bako observed. “When the mother feels listened to, and the child feels safe, healing has already begun.”
Between January and June 2025, MSF admitted 32,940 severely malnourished children to inpatient centres and 136,255 to outpatient centres in northern Nigeria. During the same period, its teams conducted 30,880 mental health sessions.
In Bauchi alone, over 113,000 children and caregivers have received psychological support since 2024.
Bako said the integrated approach has shown encouraging results, including faster recovery and stronger emotional resilience among families.
She said, “It’s not just about treating the disease.
“It’s about restoring hope, dignity, and the bond that helps families heal.”
As MSF marks World Mental Health Day 2025, the organisation reaffirmed its commitment to providing holistic care to vulnerable families in crisis-affected regions.
“Every child deserves not just to survive, but to thrive—body and mind,” MSF stated.
