Erwan Rogard PhotographyIn Niger, in Magaria, in the Zinder region, MSF has been working since 2005 to support the Ministry of Public Health in a recovery and intensive nutritional education center (CRENI) at Magaria hospital and in treatment centers. outpatient burden of malnutrition as close as possible to communities. The teams there provide nutritional and pediatric activities for severely malnourished children suffering from associated pathologies: malaria, respiratory diseases, diarrhea. In Niger, the seasonal peak of malnutrition coincides with the peak of malaria. In 2013, MSF therefore launched a malaria prevention and vaccination strategy to stop this deadly combination.
2 days, only a few hours, at Magaria hospital, I was struck by the amount of work done by MSF teams. Yet my feelings are mixed. There is hope aroused, sustained and constantly renewed by the various MSF teams, mostly local. But there is also a deep sadness in front of the harsh reality that these mothers and children face on a daily basis: lack of care and information above all, in a country where traditions and beliefs still carry considerable weight.
2 days, 2 deaths and 2 dropouts (mothers having left the CRENI and abandoned the treatment of their child). A sad correlation of figures, revealing the necessary commitment of the CRENI teams in listening to and supporting these courageous and worthy mothers.
