A land-locked country of the Sahel region, Niger is directly affected by the volatile security situations in neighboring countries, including Mali, Libya and Nigeria. The activities of armed groups in the Lake Chad basin has resulted in nearly 121,400 internally displaced people (IDPs) arriving in the Diffa region as of December 2016, of whom 14,000 are refugees from Nigeria and 105,000 Nigeriens.

While infant mortality rates have dropped by almost 45% since 2009, Niger still faces a chronic nutritional crisis. Domestically, nutritional surveys reveal the prevalence of severe acute malnutrition far surpassing the 2% emergency level established by WHO. In addition to this, there is the risk of epidemics of diseases such as measles, meningitis, cholera and malaria.

Since 2009, ALIMA has partnered with the Nigerien NGO BEFEN (Bien Être de la Femme et l’Enfant au Niger) in order to improve maternal and infant health in Niger.

In Mirriah (Zinder region) and Dakoro (Maradi region), ALIMA and BEFEN are collaborating with the health authorities to reduce mortality rates among children under five years old. Medical teams are provide free care to children suffering from acute malnutrition and care for hospitalized children in the pediatric departments of the ALIMA/BEFEN supported referral hospitals..

Malaria is the leading cause of mortality in children under five years old, especially in the rainy season between the months of July and December. In order to prevent the disease, 30,850 children under five years old received seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC), a preventative measure against malaria which decreases the number of cases by half as well as reducing malaria-related complications. In Mirriah and Dakoro, ALIMA/BEFEN treated more than 40,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition in 2016

The first 1,000 days of life starting at conception are critical for the health of a child. That is why, in 2016 in the Mirriah district, ALIMA/ BEFEN assisted close to 20,000 mothers and 40,000 children by providing them with a package of preventive and curative care in the first 1000 days of life. During this period, starting with conception and extending until the child is two years old, children are particularly vulnerable to diseases such as malaria, diarrhea, acute respiratory infections and malnutrition. These diseases can be highly detrimental to their future development. In an effort to prevent malnutrition and associated pediatric diseases, ALIMA and BEFEN are implementing this project to enable children to reach the age of two in the best possible health.

Mothers screening for malnutrition

IThrough the “MUAC for Mothers” initiative, ALIMA and BEFEN have been training mothers to diagnose malnutrition in their own children using a simple color coded bracelet called a MUAC (Mid- Upper Arm Circumference), which helps to evaluate a child’s nutritional status. Maternal involvement in malnutrition screening allows sick children to be identified earlier and significantly decreases the number of hospitalized children. In 2016, more than 260,000 mothers were trained to screen for malnutrition using the MUAC.

Rift Valley Epidemic

In August 2016, a severe epidemic of Rift Valley Fever struck the region of Tahoua. Rift Valley fever is a disease transmitted primarily to people through contact with infected animals. It can also spread through the consumption of raw milk, a major source of nutrition among nomads of the region, and through mosquito bites. ALIMA and BEFEN provided free medical care to people with suspected Rift Valley fever in Tchintabaraden, the zone most impacted by the epidemic. A treatment center with 40 beds was opened between September 2016 and January 31, 2017 to help meet the needs of the growing number of suspected cases. Medical teams admitted 346 patients for treatment at the center between September 21, 2017 and January 5, 2017. The Nigerien Minister of Health confirmed 375 suspected cases from the start of the epidemic, which caused a total of 30 deaths in the country, 19 of which were reported prior to the opening of the treatment center.