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Doctor Maigari is head doctor at the Therapeutic Feeding Centre in Tillaberi, Niger and sees on a daily basis the impact of malnutrition on children. Established by Islamic Relief in 2005 with Zakat funds, the health centre provided nutritional support to hundreds of children suffering from severe malnutrition and their mothers during the food crisis.
Now that the crisis is over the centre also offers medical care for children suffering from a range of health problems. But there are still large numbers of children being treated every month for malnutrition.
During the food crisis the health centre provided children with a ‘package of treatment’ for malnutrition and other diseases.
“From the beginning of the food crisis up to today the feeding centre has admitted over 500 children. Out of those 500, 470 were cured, some were transferred to main hospital of Niamey, some left before their treatment finished and unfortunately a few children died.”
According to Doctor Maigari until the food crisis in 2005 none of the medical staff at the centre had any experience treating malnutrition. “Before the food crisis the hospital was not dealing with malnutrition as we did not have the skills or equipment to deal with it,” he said. “Before the feeding centre was set up if we received a malnourished child at the health centre we automatically transferred them to hospital. Most of the time the parents refused to go and went back to their village where unfortunately the child often died.”
“When it came to treating a malnourished child and a nurse had to insert a feeding tube they were scared because they weren’t qualified. But now it is a common act for them because they received training from Islamic Relief.” He added, “There is a big difference between before we had Islamic Relief support and now. Even as Head of the Centre, if a malnutrition case came in I panicked because I did not have means, knowledge and practice. Thanks to this training and the support and equipment from Islamic Relief, this centre is now better equipped than the national hospital in Niamey.”
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