Malnutrition rising among Benue IDPs – Official

August 4, 2026

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The Benue State Government on Monday expressed concern over the rising cases of malnutrition among women and children, particularly those living in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps across the state.

The state’s Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Ogwuche, who raised the concern during the flag-off of the 2026 World Breastfeeding Week and the launch of the First 1,000 Days Campaign in Makurdi, said displacement, food insecurity and poor sanitation continue to worsen the nutrition crisis in the state.

Ogwuche described malnutrition as a major public health challenge, especially among children and mothers displaced by insecurity, stressing that urgent and sustained interventions were needed to improve nutrition outcomes in the state.

He said the government had intensified efforts to strengthen nutrition services across primary healthcare facilities through the expansion of Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM), promotion of Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices, improved availability of life-saving nutrition commodities and enhanced nutrition interventions in both host communities and humanitarian settings.

The commissioner said the launch of the first 1,000 days campaign marked another milestone in the state’s drive to improve maternal, infant and young child nutrition, noting that the period from conception to a child’s second birthday remains critical to healthy growth, brain development and future productivity.

Ogwuche maintained that proper maternal nutrition, early initiation of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and appropriate complementary feeding are essential to preventing malnutrition and reducing child mortality.

Malnutrition rising among Benue IDPs – Official

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