A second chance: Baby Hadiza story

Baby Hadiza gets a second chance
How an NHF-funded Stabilisation Centre for malnourished children restored hope

All Hope is lost

When baby Hadiza Bulama arrived at the Pulka Primary Healthcare Center (PHCC) with her mother, she was just a little more than skin and bones. The 18-month-old weighed only 3.8 kilogrammes, 70% below the 13 kilogrammes standard weight for her age.

She was immediately admitted to the health centre’s Stabilisation Centre where she was diagnosed with acute gastroenteritis, presenting with symptoms of vomiting and watery stool. She was immediately placed on medications and therapeutic feeds in accordance with national guidelines.

However, after two weeks of treatment, Hadiza was already showing improvement. The diarrhoea had reduced and became less watery. Sixteen days after admission, Hadiza was discharged to the Outpatient Therapeutic Program (OTP) with a weight of 5.4 kilogrammes.

The journey to recovery begins

Hadiza, her mother and the rest of their family were forced to flee their ancestral home in Zubulum, Kirawa town in Gwoza Local Government Area (LGA) due to conflict. They now live 16 kilometres away in the Pulka IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) Camp E where access to health services is limited.

Initially, her 22-year-old mother Gambo was hesitant to engage with the staff at the Stabilisation centre. She had lost hope that her child would live and had been brought to the centre by family members and neighbours. As Hadiza started to show signs of recovery, she began to loosen up. Hope had returned.

“I had almost lost hope. I thought I was going to lose my baby. Thank you very much,” she said to the centre’s staff as they were leaving – her voice filled with gratitude for giving her child a second chance at life.

Both mother and daughter were discharged and referred to the Outpatient Therapeutic Programme (OTP) in Damara Maternal Healthcare Centre (MHC) for further treatment.

Both the Stabilisation Centre and the Outpatient Therapeutic Programme are supported by Premiere Urgence Internationale (PUI) with funding from the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund (NHF) to provide lifesaving nutrition services for residents of Pulka.

Why this is important

Fourteen years into the conflict, the humanitarian crisis in north-east Nigeria remains profound and widespread. Across Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (BAY) states, over 7.9 million people face severe protection concerns, extreme deprivation beyond existing poverty levels, and daily threats to their well-being. The severity and complexity of affected people’s needs have not diminished.

Sadly, baby Hadiza’s story is not unique. Many children in north-east Nigeria suffer from malnutrition due to the ongoing crisis as well as the effects of the lean season when there’s reduced food supply in many communities.

With an average cure rate of 97.1 per cent, local health facilities and programmes supported by NHF partners remain vital for providing lifesaving services to vulnerable mothers and babies. This emphasizes the need for more nutrition support for children in conflict-affected regions in Nigeria. Learn more about NHF here. END.