UNICEF, Kaduna Govt Deepen Outreach, Targets Malnourished, Zero-Dose Children in Underserved Community
By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna
In a renewed effort to address the health and nutrition needs of underserved and hard-to-reach communities, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in partnership with the Kaduna State Government, conducted a follow-up Special Zero-Dose Integrated Mobile Outreach Service in Gidan Maigari, a remote village in Zangon Aya Ward of Igabi Local Government Area.
The outreach was organized in response to an earlier visit on May 28, 2025, which exposed widespread health challenges, including a high number of children who had never been vaccinated and cases of severe acute malnutrition.
Speaking during the event, Chinwe Ezeife, Nutrition Specialist, UNICEF Kaduna Field Office, explained that during the first outreach, health teams identified 48 zero-dose children who had never received any form of vaccination. In addition, 52 children were found to have Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) without complications, while five others presented with SAM and medical complications. Nine suspected measles cases were also recorded, involving children and a pregnant woman.
According to Ezeife, while the turnout at the initial outreach was impressive, it overwhelmed the team’s capacity to perform thorough medical investigations and follow-ups.
This she said prompted a decision by the Kaduna State Primary Health Care Board, the State Ministry of Health, the Igabi Local Government Health Department, and the Zango Aya Integrated Primary Health Centre, with support from UNICEF, to organize a follow-up outreach aimed at deepening service delivery and ensuring no child was left behind.
The follow-up outreach provided an integrated package of health and nutrition services. These included routine immunization, with a special focus on zero-dose children, as well as antenatal care for pregnant women, vitamin A supplementation, deworming, and screening for malnutrition using the Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) method.
Children found to be malnourished were either enrolled into therapeutic feeding programs or referred to stabilization centers based on the severity of their condition. The outreach also offered treatment for malaria and skin infections, child spacing services, blood pressure checks for adults, and the administration of micronutrient supplements to pregnant women.
To address the suspected measles cases identified during the earlier outreach, a dedicated disease surveillance team was on-site, composed of a Disease Surveillance Officer, an Assistant Surveillance Officer, and a Medical Doctor.
Their task was to investigate suspected cases and refer any confirmed ones to the appropriate stabilization centers for treatment.
Ezeife noted that one of the major components of the outreach was promoting dietary diversity and improving nutrition education at the household level. This was done through food demonstrations using locally available ingredients, aimed at teaching families how to prepare nutrient-rich meals.
She also emphasized the importance of Maternal, Infant, and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) counseling. Women in the community were encouraged to initiate breastfeeding within one hour of childbirth, practice exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, and introduce appropriate complementary feeding while continuing breastfeeding until the child reached two years of age or beyond.
She linked the entire outreach effort to UNICEF’s broader First 1,000 Days of Life initiative, which focuses on the critical window from conception to a child’s second birthday as a foundation for survival, growth, and development. Ezeife stressed that children enrolled in the Outpatient Therapeutic Program (OTP) would receive a minimum of six to eight weeks of follow-up care, including Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) and essential medication, to ensure their full recovery.
She reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to returning to Gidan Maigari to provide continued support, stating that the community is now on their radar for consistent engagement and follow-up.
Also speaking, Muhammad Tukur, Assistant State Nutrition Officer, stated that children were assessed using the MUAC method, and any child with a reading below 11.5 cm was evaluated further for medical complications. Those without complications were admitted into the OTP, while those with complications were referred to the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital for more advanced care.
He noted that during the initial outreach, 52 SAM cases without complications were enrolled in the OTP, and five with complications were referred to Barau Dikko. So far in the current visit, around 20 new children had been screened, with the exercise still ongoing.
Tukur emphasized that addressing malnutrition required more than therapeutic feeding; it necessitated a holistic approach that tackled the root causes, including food insecurity and poverty.
He highlighted the importance of promoting the use of affordable, locally available foods through food demonstrations, community mobilization, house-to-house screenings, and advocating for social protection interventions to help vulnerable households.
Village Head of Gidan Maigari, Alhaji Surajo, expressed deep gratitude to UNICEF and its partners for bringing healthcare services directly to their community.
However, he also shared his concerns about the dire lack of health infrastructure. He described Gidan Maigari as a community surrounded by ditches and isolated villages, making access to health facilities in Zangon Aya or Zaria difficult and often dangerous.
He revealed that the community once had a small medical outlet, but it was destroyed by heavy rainfall. He recounted that during emergencies, especially when women go into labour, they are often forced to deliver along the way before reaching a health facility.
Surajo appealed to the government to build a permanent healthcare center in Gidan Maigari, stressing that health services are a basic right that should be accessible regardless of a community’s location.
The Gidan Maigari outreach highlights the urgent need for continued investment in rural health infrastructure, integrated service delivery, and strong community partnerships. It also reinforces the importance of leaving no child or family behind in the pursuit of equitable and quality healthcare across Kaduna State.
