Since 2005, MSF has been supporting the Ministry of Public Health in Magaria, Zinder region, to reduce the mortality rate of children under five. MSF teams have been working in health structures that provide paediatric and nutritional care, as well as undertaking awareness-raising in villages to inform the community about the detection and prevention of childhood illnesses.

MSF works in Magaria hospital’s paediatric unit and in the Intensive Therapeutic Feeding Centre (ITFC). During the peak season for malnutrition and malaria, which usually runs from June to September, MSF also supports community health centres, which offer basic healthcare and ensure treatment for severe malnutrition in children under five.

In Magaria hospital’s paediatric unit, the teams treat children who have been hospitalised for severe illnesses other than malnutrition. MSF also supports the Intensive Therapeutic Feeding Centre (ITFC), where children with severe malnutrition and related illnesses such as malaria, respiratory infections or diarrhoea are treated. Vaccination activities are undertaken to ensure that the children who are hospitalised in the paediatric unit and the ITFC have all their immunisations.

At community level, MSF supports community health centres and health posts, including with Ambulatory Therapeutic Feeding Centres. Working with the community the aims is to detect and treat childhood illnesses at an early stage, with only the most severe cases being referred to hospital. In the district of Magaria, MSF has opened two observation rooms inside the community health centres of Dantchiao and Magaria so that children can be monitored to see if after a few hours they can go home or should be referred to the paediatric unit