When a child is fighting malnutrition, caregivers need support too.
The Impact of Malnutrition on the Mental Health of Caregivers in Nigeria
msf.org.zaIn 2025, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) treated 425,634 children for acute malnutrition across northern Nigeria, a 41.8% increase compared with 2024.
But the impact of this crisis reaches beyond the children who arrive at MSF facilities. Many of the caregivers accompanying them are mothers. They may spend 7 to 45 days in hospital, caring for a critically ill child while worrying about the children they have had to leave at home.
When a child is fighting to survive, the person caring for them needs support too.
Treating malnutrition means caring for the whole family.
Every donation can help MSF continue providing care when families need it most
Severe acute malnutrition can have a profound emotional impact on children and their caregivers. That is why MSF integrates mental health and psychosocial support into its nutrition programmes across northern Nigeria.
Our teams provide:
🔴Counselling to help caregivers cope with distress, fear and uncertainty.
🔴Play therapy to support children's emotional wellbeing.
🔴Psychoeducation to help caregivers understand and manage emotional and behavioural challenges.
🔴Emotional support to strengthen caregivers' confidence as they care for their children.
This support can help families cope with the psychological impact of illness, strengthen their ability to continue caring for their children after discharge and support children's recovery.
Behind every number is a child.
In 2025 alone, MSF treated 353,989 children for severe acute malnutrition and 90,723 children for moderate acute malnutrition. And in 2026, the situation remains critical.
An estimated 34.7 million people are expected to face crisis levels of food insecurity during the lean season, while more than 5.4 million children are suffering from acute malnutrition. Behind every number is a child and behind many of those children is a caregiver doing everything they can to keep them alive.