MSF has sent 243 experienced medical staff from across Niger and around the world to ensure patients receive the best possible care inside the hospital and out in the community, where a team is running mobile clinics to care for children closer to home.
“MSF’s hospital in Magaria is the only health facility available in a region for 700,000 to one million people, around 20 percent of whom are under five years old,” Job said. “So while the malaria season is worse this year, it’s not surprising that we are overwhelmed. The health system in the area is chronically underfunded, lacking means, organization, training, and support. This prevents people from accessing care and, in turn, claims lives. We could double our capacity and still not meet the needs of the children aged under five in the community.”
MSF has been working with Niger’s Ministry of Health in the Zinder region of the country since 2005, including in Magaria where MSF runs a 435-bed pediatric unit to improve care for pediatric patients and prevent, detect, and treat childhood diseases. From January 1 to August 31, 11,100 children were admitted to this unit. More than 3,300 children under five were admitted to the unit in August alone. In addition to this facility, MSF also supports 11 health centers, 14 health posts, and six stabilization rooms for children under five in the Magaria area.